Arlen J. Chai
The Last Time I Saw Mother
Arlene J. Chai is a Filipino-Chinese-Australian living in Sydney who has woven a powerful
tale about mothers and daughters. She is touted to be one of the most stunning new
novelists in years. In The Last Time I Saw Mother, she takes readers (especially
non-Filipino readers) to a place where they have never been before. Amy Tan (of The Joy
Luck Club, The Kitchen Goddess Wife etc.) says of this book: "A remarkable first novel
filled with family secrets and intersection of personal and world histories, told through
four mesmerizing voices."
The Last time I Saw Mother is an alternate selection of the Literary Guild. Published by Fawcett Columbine Ballantine Books (a division of Random House), New York, 1996.
Eating Fire and Drinking Water
Arlene J. Chai, a Filipino-Chinese-Australian
burst into the literary scene in 1996 with the critically acclaimed The Last Time I Saw Mother which became
an alternate selection of The Literary Guild.
Here's what they say about Ms. Chai and The Last Time I Saw Mother
"A remarkable first novel filled with family secrets and the intersection of personal and world histories, told through four mesmerizing voices." - Amy Tan
"An often lyrical and always tough-minded debut ... Provides rare insights into three cultures - Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino - that coexist in the Philippines." - The New York Times Book Review
[A] wise, beautifully written first novel ... introduc[ing] a culture not often written about in Western literature ... Reading each chapter is like having a conversation with a close friend." - Chicago Tribune
"A sensitive ... portrait of a family of Filipina women who, by common consent, have long kept a secret ... The novel illuminates much modern Philippine history." - The Boston Globe
Eating Fire and Drinking Water is an evocative and multilayered tale, once political and personal. It is an extraordinary work, a powerful and pulsing novel of politics, commitment, loyalty and love, and the poignant search of the truth.
