The New York Times recently interviewed the Chinese novelist Amy Tan, a woman who has written some powerful books about the immigrant and minority experience in America. Ms. Tan is very candid in the interview about growing up with a mother who expected a lot from her. She told the interviewer that as a child, she felt chat she would be a huge disappointment to her mother if she did not grow up to work as a neurosurgeon during the week and a concert pianist on the weekends.

She went on to describe a conversation with her mother after it was announced that her novel, The Joy Luck Club, had reached number four on The New York Times Bestseller list. After sharing the good news, Ms. Tan's mother replied, "What happened? Who's No. 3 and 2 and 1?"