NPR's Book of the Day

For Mother's Day, two books that tackle motherhood

May 10, 2024

Comedian Celeste Headlee jokes about bad parenting in the animal kingdom in her book 'There Are Moms Way Worse Than You'. Amy Tan reflects on Chinese American families in her novel 'The Joy Luck Club' inspired by her immigrant background.

18:44

Creator website

Episode guests

Celeste Headlee

Amy Tan

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Parents can find solace in humor and support from 'There Are Moms Way Worse Than You', acknowledging the universal struggles of parenting.

Amy Tan's 'The Joy Luck Club' delves into the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and cultural influences, exploring deep emotional bonds.

Deep dives

Book 'There Are Moms Way Worse Than You'

Glenn Busan discusses the inspiration for her book 'There Are Moms Way Worse Than You'. It originated from a conversation with her sister who, despite being a great mother, had doubts about her parenting. Glenn's humorous approach of collecting stories about animal mothers doing bizarre things to their offspring turned into a surprise book for her sister.

Introduction

2min

Exploring Motherhood and Self-Doubt through Comedy

2min

Evolution of a Mother's Day Poem into a Horrifying Book

3min

The Trials of Parenting

4min

Nurturing Cultural Roots

10min

This weekend is Mother's Day, a good occasion to reflect on the art of parenting. First, comedian Glenn Boozan speaks to Celeste Headlee on Here and Now about her book There Are Moms Way Worse Than You, a joke-book that uses examples of bad parenting from the animal kingdom to soothe those who might be worried about their own child-raising skills.Then, an interview from our archives: a 1989 chat with Amy Tan on All Things Considered about her novel The Joy Luck Club, the story of four Chinese American families living in San Francisco inspired by Tan's experience as a child of immigrants.

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NPR's Book of the Day

For Mother's Day, two books that tackle motherhood

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Book 'There Are Moms Way Worse Than You'

Parenting Struggles and Pressure

Author's Reflection on Mother-Daughter Relationships

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts