Described as the cofounder, with writer Maxine Hong Kingston, of an emerging tradition of Chinese-American women's writing, Tan is known for her lyrically written tales of emotional conflict between Chinese-American mothers and daughters separated by generational and cultural differences. Tan's two major works, The Joy Luck Club (1989) and The Kitchen God's Wife (1991)are noteworthy for their authentic and humorous aialogue, realistic depiction of the tensions and ambiguities of human relationships, and censitivity to the power of cultural and listorical forces on the individual and family.

Together with her distinctive writing style and rich imagery, Tan's treatment of such themes as loss and reconciliation, hope and failure, friendship and familial conflict, and the healing power of storytelling have brought her popular success and critical attention. According to Tan, her writing has enabled her to discover "how Chinese I was. And how much had stayed with me that I had...