In this video from the American Masters film Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir, learn about author Amy Tan’s complicated relationship with her mother, which served as the basis for many of her novels and non-fiction writing. For her second novel, Tan conducted in-depth interviews with her mother about her early life and abusive marriage in Shanghai, China. Tan’s mother managed to escape her marriage but left her three daughters behind. Daisy immigrated to San Francisco in 1949. She married John Tan, a Baptist minister, and would eventually have three children with him, including Amy Tan and her two brothers. 

For Tan, listening to her mother’s life stories was transformational, for both mother and daughter. In 1995, Daisy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, an illness that causes loss of memory, thinking, and ability.

This educational resource includes discussion questions for students, a creative writing exercise, and an oral history project.