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With bombs raining on the city, food in short supply, and frightened residents cowering at home not knowing which neighborhood will be attacked next, these women pool their meager resources to gather and play mah jong, an ancient Chinese tile game. Suyuan Woo, the courageous central figure of the book, invents the original Joy Luck Club with four friends in Kweilin, China in the late 1930s as a temporary escape from the fear and despair surrounding the Japanese invasion. The 1989 bestseller is being celebrated throughout March at all branches of JMRL, including a showing of the 1993 film at the Gordon Avenue library on March 11. Like life itself, this complex and realistic novel-which was discussed March 4 at the Crozet Library Book Club-blends joy with sorrow to create a multi-faceted exploration of themes such as immigrant alienation and assimilation, the psychological tension between mothers and daughters, and resilient women triumphing over adversity.

During the reading, we discover that the title is in fact ironic-a defiant assertion of joy and hope in the face of tragedy, fear, and loss. The title of this year’s Big Read selection suggests a light-hearted, quick read filled with happiness and laughter. By Clover Carroll The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan