This time there was no need to explain what our next book would be about. (Almost) Everybody had heard about it in the media because TV, blogs, magazines and newspapers are full of talk about it. Why, one asks. Well, because the book is so successful in raising hard, controversial questions!

So, this time our choice was Amy Chua's 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother'. For the first time non-fiction. A memoir. We discussed our reactions to this kind of book. Some were quite familiar with it. One group member had even read a German book with a similar topic, equally controversial and widely discussed, 'Warum aus unseren Kindern Tyrannen werden' by Michael Winterhoff recently. For others reading a book that was not a novel was a new experience, not an unpleasant one, though.

In 'Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother' Amy Chua reflects on her way of parenting. She lets the readers have an insight into the (sometimes) messy details of successfully raising children in America - Chinese style. Amy, highly achieving second generation Chinese American, and her Jewish husband Jed have made a deal. She would see to their daughters' education and upbringing, the girls would be brought up in the Jewish faith and bilingually - English and Chinese. So Amy decides that apart from getting perfect marks at school the girls will also have to learn to play an instrument each - the piano (Sophia, the eldest) and the violin (Louisa, or Lulu, the youngest).

And so Amy tells us in her totally honest way about the ups and downs of her family life and the growing success of her daughters. Her way of being so frank and open about her failures too is what makes her likable. Anybody who demonizes her has clearly not read the whole book. So many reviewers have obviously never gotten beyond the first few chapters where Amy seems rather smug and vain.

Later, when the shit hits the fan and Lulu gets ready for the big show-down in the posh restaurant, or when she cuts of her own hair we see Amy's vulnerable side and we see her change her behaviour but also (even more to be admired) that she will never give up.

What is it that makes Chinese parenting so special? It is a weird (at least for us western people) mixture of doting love and bone-crushing strictness. It is the unshakable faith that your child can do it, the undoubting determination that no matter how hard it's going to be, the parent will make the child achieve this task. Later everyone will be happy, the task will seem fun, a virtuous circle is started. But, as one member pointed out, the Achilles heel of the system is failure. There is no way of dealing with this.

We had a very interesting discussion about our own views on education, observations from our different roles - as children, pupils, siblings, parents, teachers, grown-ups. In the end the senior and the junior reading group members had to agree to disagree. The former bought the Chinese conviction that the parents are responsible for their off-springs success, that when it comes to education one should not refrain from hard methods. As the English say, you have to be cruel to be kind, sometimes. The latter insisted, that a kid's decision that learning is crucial is what marks them as intelligent. There are some who understand (before it's too late) that academic/artistic/athletic success is worth working hard for - and more who don't. Bad luck for you, if you don't!

Unfortunately, two of the group members said they are never going to start a family and one has given up on it…

Well, not to worry, there is a next book to look forward to!!! It is 'Room' a 2010 novel by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue. Happy reading to everyone!

Claudia Zimmermann
Leader of the Villa Elisabeth Reading Group