- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Pantheon Books; First Edition First Printing edition (Oct 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0375409378
- ISBN-13: 978-0375409370
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 1.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,877,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
"Witty, original, and authentic. A fresh,
young Chinese-American voice."
--Adeline Yen Mah,
author of Falling Leaves
As the daughter of a Chinese-American mother and a Norwegian father, Paisley Rekdal grew up wondering where she fit in. The essays in this, her shimmering nonfiction debut, tackle thorny issues--race and identity politics, interracial desire, what it means to be a "hyphenated American"--with a fresh, feisty, and very funny new perspective.
Rekdal's family history is, as she describes it, "complicated and vaguely dangerous," and at the center of this strange world is her mother--a smart, stubborn, complex woman who adores her daughter. Rekdal exposes the foibles of family, friends, and lovers, but never spares herself, capturing both global and personal struggles with a critical, compassionate and humorous lens. The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee flows effortlessly from stunning cultural observation to a recollection of an embarrassing travel anecdote. Her destinations vary widely--a classroom in South Korea, a Japanese family's living room, Main Street in Natchez, Mississippi, a Taipei shopping mall, a beach in the Philippines, and even her own bedroom. In each, she explores the vast differences between cultures, the feeling of being an outsider, the constant battle to understand and be understood.
The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee proves that shifting the frames of identity can be tricky, exhilarating--and revelatory.
young Chinese-American voice."
--Adeline Yen Mah,
author of Falling Leaves
As the daughter of a Chinese-American mother and a Norwegian father, Paisley Rekdal grew up wondering where she fit in. The essays in this, her shimmering nonfiction debut, tackle thorny issues--race and identity politics, interracial desire, what it means to be a "hyphenated American"--with a fresh, feisty, and very funny new perspective.
Rekdal's family history is, as she describes it, "complicated and vaguely dangerous," and at the center of this strange world is her mother--a smart, stubborn, complex woman who adores her daughter. Rekdal exposes the foibles of family, friends, and lovers, but never spares herself, capturing both global and personal struggles with a critical, compassionate and humorous lens. The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee flows effortlessly from stunning cultural observation to a recollection of an embarrassing travel anecdote. Her destinations vary widely--a classroom in South Korea, a Japanese family's living room, Main Street in Natchez, Mississippi, a Taipei shopping mall, a beach in the Philippines, and even her own bedroom. In each, she explores the vast differences between cultures, the feeling of being an outsider, the constant battle to understand and be understood.
The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee proves that shifting the frames of identity can be tricky, exhilarating--and revelatory.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
captivating, 13 Jan 2001
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee: Observations on Not Fitting in (Hardcover)
i am so happy to have stumbled upon this book. This author is so intelligent, observant, witty and creative. This book was charming and relatable. i laughed aloud as some of my own personal experiences were so similar, it was amazing. Rekdal is able to put into words feelings that i hadn't been able to describe. Even if one hasn't had cultural identity questions about him/herself this book is enjoyable and some sentences read almost like poetry. Her stories are very insightful and she captures the essence of how people think and react.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Book Well-Worth Reading, 15 Jan 2001
By Paul Gong - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee: Observations on Not Fitting in (Hardcover)
Ms. Rekdal's numerous observations are personal and touching. Many Americans have struggled with an identity crisis. I understand fully the crushing power of long and brutal silences mentioned in the text. I am so glad that Ms. Rekdal is not silent at all.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Complex issues, disturbing insights, but very readable, 5 May 2001
By Meremoose - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee: Observations on Not Fitting in (Hardcover)
There are always stereotypes to be stripped down, aren't there?Rekdal's themes (race, how Americans are perceived overseas, how Americans perceive each other) make you think, but her writing won't make you struggle. Her essays, built around episodes of her life, are sad, funny, entertaining and insightful.
An excellent book. Highly recommended. I wish I could teach a course called "Race in America" just so I could get more people to read this book.
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