{"product_id":"9780008242305_where-the-past-begins-a-writers-memoir","title":"Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Amy Tan, a memoir on her life as a writer, her childhood and the symbiotic relationship between fiction and emotional memory.\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eWhere the Past Begins\u003c\/em\u003e, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Joy Luck Club\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Valley of Amazement\u003c\/em\u003e Amy Tan is at her most intimate in revealing the truths and inspirations that underlie her extraordinary fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy delving into vivid memories of her traumatic childhood, confessions of self-doubt in her journals and heartbreaking letters to and from her mother, she gathers together evidence of all that made it both unlikely and inevitable that she would become a writer. Through spontaneous storytelling, she shows how a fluid fictional state of mind unleashed near-forgotten memories that became the emotional nucleus of her novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTan explores shocking truths uncovered by family memorabilia – the real reason behind an I.Q. test she took at age six, why her parents lied about their education, mysteries surrounding her maternal grandmother – and, for the first time publicly, writes about her complex relationship with her father, who died when she was fifteen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten with candour and characteristic humour, \u003cem\u003eWhere the Past Begins\u003c\/em\u003e takes readers into the idiosyncratic workings of her writer's mind, a journey that explores memory, imagination, and truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTan's personal journey, as depicted in this literary masterpiece, is not just an autobiography but a deep dive into her ethnic and cultural roots. Her memoirs, filled with regional nuances, are a testament to her prowess as a top-rated author.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Jung Chang (Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister), Anna Murphy (Destination Fabulous), and Joan Didion (Let Me Tell You What I Mean).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Amy Tan, Read by Amy Tan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46889509552277,"sku":"9780008242305","price":31.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780008242305.png?v=1777422791","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780008242305_where-the-past-begins-a-writers-memoir","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}