Review of THE AMAH

Yep, Laurence. 1999. THE AMAH. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399230408.

PLOT SUMMARY
Ever since her father died, life has been difficult for Amy’s family. In order to make more money, her mother has decided to quit her nighttime cleaning job and take a position as an amah, a Chinese nanny. While her mother is taking care of Miss Stephanie, twelve year old Amy is now responsible for getting her four younger siblings off to school and making sure they finish their homework, eat dinner, and get ready for bed every evening. In addition to struggling with these pressures, Amy also frequently misses her ballet lessons when her mother needs to stay late with Miss Stephanie. Not surprisingly, Amy greatly resents the situation. However, with the help of some understanding friends, she learns to make changes, not only for herself, but also to help others.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Laurence Yep has earned a reputation for creating accurate and authentic stories depicting experiences of Asian Pacific Americans. In this book, he explores the interwoven relationships of amahs, their families, and their charges. Intrigued by family stories of his grandmother’s days as an amah and how it impacted her own children, Yep began researching this practice. Conducting interviews with amahs, the children left at home, and the children raised by amahs, Yep shows dedication as he strives to realistically capture this part of Asian Pacific American life.

Yep’s story rings true on many points, but the characters’ internal struggles are most relevant. Amy, the protagonist, is understandably upset as her mother’s new job causes her to miss her beloved ballet lessons. Forced to baby-sit her rambunctious siblings, Amy’s resentments begin to build. While the reader naturally sides with Amy, Yep does an outstanding job of explaining her mother’s point of view as well. Even though Amy believes she doesn’t care about her feelings or interests, her mother is actually more supportive and caring than her own mother was to her. By sacrificing time with her own children to take care of her charge, Amy’s mother can afford to continue the expensive ballet lessons. Yep’s description of the cultural strife between an American daughter and a Chinese mother is both poignant and eye-opening for the reader.

Even though Amy’s family members are shown to be individuals, each with their own interests, Yep does not spend a great deal of time describing their physical attributes. The reader is aware that Amy is slender and has a dancer’s build, but Yep does not elaborate much on her features. Physical descriptions focus more on body type, such as the fact that her younger brother needs to eat less pizza because he is a little overweight. It is interesting to note that her mother wishes Amy would eat more, because when she was a child, thinness was a sign of poverty in China.

Since the family has been in the United States for awhile, the children are thoroughly American in their language, names, dress, and hobbies. The younger siblings enjoy American comic books and video games. Amy only speaks a little Chinese and she never code-switches. Several of the characters who lived in Hong Kong speak with a British accent. Instead of using Chinese language and terms, Yep reveals the culture of his characters through certain artifacts, rituals, and food. For instance, Amy’s mother has a cherished family heirloom, a teapot, she only uses for special occasions. At the beginning of the story, Amy’s mother uses a personal connection to win her amah position, due to her insider status in the Asian Pacific American community. All the family members enjoy shopping and eating in Chinatown.

Yep has created an authentic story of a young girl torn between her Chinese and American cultures. Her mother expects her to be the dutiful daughter, but Amy stands up to her when she feels her ballet lessons are being sacrificed. Through a difficult financial situation, both Amy and her mother learn how to bridge their cultural differences and communicate better. Yep succeeds in portraying a generation gap common in the Asian Pacific American community.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
School Library Journal writes, “Readers will enjoy the ballet references as they explore the universal feelings of jealousy and relationships. A realistic story of a contemporary Chinese-American family with flaws and strengths.”

Booklist comments, “The strained relationship between Amy and her "old world" mother is one of the strongest elements in this story, which clearly delineates the sort of struggle that can occur between generations in an immigrant family as well as what it feels like to be an outsider, even in your own home. A solid read.”

Reviews accessed at: http://www.amazon.com/Amah-Laurence-Yep/dp/0698118782

CONNECTIONS
Other books portraying the Asian Pacific American experience by Laurence Yep:
DRAGON’S GATE. ISBN 0064404897
DREAM SOUL. ISBN 0064407888
THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH. ISBN 0064408523
THE STAR FISHER. ISBN 0140360034
WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN. ISBN 0064409651

Submitted by Kim