When the book, Battle hymn of the tiger mother by Amy Chua, was released, it created sparks on internet and in the newspapers. I remember reading in the papers vaguely on how the author was criticized for her revelations on her style of rearing up her children. The new edition of the book has some post notes on it, describing what she went through the interviews and the feedback she got. It also contains letter from her elder daughter published in the Huffington post.
I had pinned that book to my reading list, since I thought as an Asian counterpart I could relate to it. And then, every mother feels guilty at one point or the other for being strict on their children, just as I did every often.
The real life story perceived in the book was more extreme than I imagined. Forcing a child into learning something which is common and traditional in the family may be natural for some parents. But it requires deep determination and grit in from the parents, to dive deep into the ocean race, along with the child and pushing the child to extreme limits to swim to the shore, just for attaining the first position.
The initial chapters contained many instances of detailing into learning of piano and violin. It also references music by famous musicians like Mozart, which kind of makes it feel over the head for a person ignorant of western music. But the intentions are clear, though sarcastically humorous.
The last chapter was more on teenage rebellion and the conclusive remarks regarding the style of parenting. Though the book has an expected ending, there are details and references, with the support of practical examples, in making you realize the importance of adaptability and prioritization.
Overall, the book is an easy read, reinforces the message to the mothers, to be guilt-free, and that irrespective of the parenting style, every mother thinks alike, that of better future for the children. This book at Rs.350, is over priced for me and I would rate at 2.5/5.
