A generous 2/5 Stars

I must admit, I was excited to dive into "Life Lessons from Mom" by Amy Tan, assuming it was written by the renowned author of "The Joy Luck Club" and one of my favourite books ever, "The Valley of Amazement". Unfortunately, I soon discovered that this Amy Tan was not the same celebrated writer I had grown to love. and despite giving it my best go regardless, my enthusiasm quickly turned to disappointment the further along I read.

From the outset, I found the writing style to be surprisingly detached considering the subject matter. Many of the stories and lessons were delivered in the vague, matter-of-fact, business self-help book style of the late 2000s - early 2010s. The author's voice lacked the warmth, depth, and emotional resonance that I've come to expect not only from renowned author Amy Tan, when I still thought this was her, but any book in this genre. The lessons and anecdotes shared felt rather shallow and lacked the kind of vulnerability and authenticity that makes a reader invested in the author's story. As I continued to read, I couldn't shake the feeling that the book was written in an almost algorithmic sense, again lending to an oldy cold and detached tone throughout.

Sadly, I eventually abandoned the book, unable to muster the enthusiasm to continue. While I appreciate the author's intention to share her life lessons and experiences, the execution fell flat for me. I appreciate the author for laying bare what she could and the publishers as they have been wonderful throughout the process. I fear this book just was not for me.

Another work from Amy Tan — another reflective and thoughtful exploration in writing. I appreciated the personal work of this book and always appreciate this author’s skill in storytelling.

This is written with much love and endurance from a mother to her child. The life lessons are broken up into chapters. It is very relatable and as parents we have shared hopes and fears. Thank you to the publisher for a copy.

Amy Tan has written a beautiful book of advice moms wisdom for her son a life guide.I will be sharing this book with my son & hope he will learn from it .#netgalley #lifelesons from mom.

There are words of wisdom in this book but as a reader I felt duped -- this is not the Amy Tan I thought it was. I did not figure it out until I was a few chapters in. I think it is critical for the publisher to be very clear and by adding "award-winning author" under her name, it just deepened the confusion for me. I also did not realize there was a Christian perspective to it which is not my cup of tea. Now that I have gotten that all out of the way, there are a few chapters in here that I would share with my own son. She does a great job pulling together key life lessons for the younger generation. But I implore you to clarify who the author is so others don't get fooled.

Thank you to Netgalley and Books to Hook Publishing, LLC for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Thank you Books to Hook Publishing and NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Amy Tan presents a number of short stories / essays to provide words of wisdom for her son as he grows up. Some of the stories were touching and were wonderful insights, others fell a little short for me.

Overall it was a nice mix and good for picking up and reading a bit here and there whenever you feel like an inspiring moment in your day.

I always love Amy Tan’s works of fiction because they are unique, beautiful and I learn so much from them. Sadly, I was not as enamored by this one. Life Lessons from Mom is said to be a guide for her son for all sorts of questions that may come up in life. There were some great lessons within it, my favorite probably being the A to Z in relationships. I liked that chapters were well titled so that one could flip to a certain section or idea easily to access the wisdom when needed. Unfortunately, overall It read less like personal experiences and anecdotes and more like a psychology textbook for me. It wasn’t a letter format like I expected and I could not imagine my son ever reading it from start to finish and truly absorbing the knowledge. I expect it resonates more with Tan’s son than it did with me.

I enjoyed this book. While the author may have written this book for her son, I definitely found myself pulling some nuggets from it for me and my family. None of the chapters were very long, but I appreciated that- as authors can go down a rabbit hole of personal stories I don't relate to. There was enough information and guidance to get you to think about what was written, but not push you one way or the other.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Life Lesson's From Mom by Amy Tan is a remarkable guide to what is truly important in life affirming lessons and choices. Her Four-Quadrants Personal Growth Model gives so much purpose in reflecting on what is truly important in making progress in our lives. The author emphasizes Lifelong Learning, Cultivating Creativity and Critical Thinking.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my opinion. I really loved this book and her perspective on "A Framework for Life"
Thank you.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

Generally, as a parent, I really enjoy these types of books. I can tell that Amy loves her son and really wants to bestow some life lessons. However, this selection of stories felt a bit disjointed. I wanted more detail in them, instead what I got was sometimes what felt like a cliffs notes summary of what can be done fascinating stories, sometimes what felt like a lecture, and sometimes what read as a high school thesis statement.

In Life Lessons from Mom, Amy Tan answers her son’s request to share the wisdom she’s gained over her lifetime. With honesty and warmth, she reflects on the challenges she’s faced, the choices she’s made, and the lessons she hopes to pass on.
What I appreciated most was that it’s not about giving step-by-step advice. Instead, she gave what he asked for…insights drawn from her own moments of struggle and triumph. For her son—and anyone reading—it’s both a guide and a glimpse into the values that have shaped her. It’s a touching reminder that life’s lessons are often hard and messy but are always meaningful.

An extraordinary book to read and gift. I can't wait to share this with my son. He's about to graduate from high school and this book about life lessons is a great resource to give him. Tan's writing is spot-on and inspirational. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.