Listen to the Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What's a Daughter to Do?

and#147;An affectionate tribute to her tough, powerful Chinese mother.and#8221;and#151;Kirkus Reviews

and#147;I devoured this book in one sitting...alternately cheering, laughing, cringing, and gasping in horror. and#160;Lui captures the complexity of a mother-daughter relationship that is both complicated and beautiful. Poignant with a bare honesty that may make you think (and rethink) your own relationships.and#8221; and#160;and#151;Jenny Lawson, #1and#160;New York Timesand#150;bestselling author ofand#160;Letand#8217;s Pretend This Never Happened and#160; Meet Elaine Luiand#8217;s mother. Sheand#8217;s and#147;a movie, an Amy Tan novel, and a sitcom all rolled into one.and#8221;* Or as her daughter sums it up: and#147;Sheand#8217;s Chinese, she squawks like a chicken, she is totally nuts, and I am totally dependent on her.and#8221;

With tales of brutal mah-jong competitions, all-cap texts (and#147;YOUR BAD SKIN NEED SOUPand#8221;); public shaming, and pearls of occasionally-bizarre wisdom; Lui not only paints a portrait of a challenging, frustrating, fascinating woman that will make you laugh and cryand#151;she eloquently describes exactly what itand#8217;s like to love someone who drives you crazy.

and#147;A remarkable memoir about Luiand#8217;s relationship with her Hong Kong-born mom, who makes Tiger Mothers look like pussycats.and#8221;and#151;Tampa Bay Times

*Lisa Gabriele, author and TV producer

and#8220;Authentic, heartbreaking, and funny. Lui writes with the truest form of humor, grounded in pain, honesty, and insight, and despite everything, Luiand#8217;s love for her mother shines true. This is a book that will challenge and resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere.and#8221;and#8212;Jean Kwok,and#160;New York Timesand#8211;bestselling author ofand#160;Girl in Translationand#160;andand#160;Mambo in Chinatown and#8220;Elaine Lui has written one remarkable and dangerous book. It had me laughing till I rolled off the bed, rearranging my living room furniture in a panic at three a.m. to achieve proper feng shui, and calling my mother out of pure guilt. The Squawking Chicken could eat any Tiger Mom for lunch.and#8221; and#8212;Kevin Kwan, author ofand#160;Crazy Rich Asians

and#8220;Luiand#8217;s ma is a caustic, brashly charismatic, take-no-prisoners, larger-than-life figureand#8230;a lovely read about a woman whose force of personality refuses to be ignored.and#8221;and#8212;Chicago Tribune and#8220;Bold and fresh, Elaine Luiand#8217;s writing took me on a journey filled with bittersweet verve and breathtaking grace. Forget what you think you know about life, and enter the world of the Squawking Chicken. This is a love story you wonand#8217;t soon forget.and#8221; and#160;and#8212;Ami McKay, author ofand#160;The Birth Houseand#160;andand#160;The Virgin Cure Iand#8217;m an avid reader of Elaine Luiand#8217;s blog because of her intelligent, funny and distinctive voice. So of course, her memoir was a must-read. By turns hilarious and moving, it tells the story of her charismatic mother and#8211; her difficult childhood in Hong Kong, immigration to Canada and tiger-mom style of raising her daughter Lainey to be the outspoken success she is today. Along the way we learn a lot about Mah Jong and Feng Shui (two of her motherand#8217;s obsessions), but most of all about the intense love between mother and daughter. I was spellbound from start to finish!and#8221; and#8212;Jennifer Ross, People.com and#8220;What an incredible character is the Squawking Chickenand#8212;sheand#8217;s a movie, an Amy Tan novel, and a sitcom all rolled into one. By turns deeply moving, shocking, and hilarious, this is a story of atypical parenting, cultural complexities, and one daughterand#8217;s capacity for forgiveness, compassion, and love. I didnand#8217;t want it to end.and#8221; and#8212;Lisa Gabriele, author ofand#160;SECRETand#160;and TV producer and#8220;Once I started reading, I couldnand#8217;t stop. I read it compulsively, wide-eyed, and devouring: Luiand#8217;s writing is sharp, humorous, and deliciously readable, like a long, insightful letter from your best friend. Listen to the Squawking Chicken asks you to reflect on what you think about loyalty, shame, pride and loveand#8212;themes that all mothers and daughters know deeply. and#160;This book made me rethink what it means to be a daughter. I loved it. I can't wait to give it to my mother.and#8221; and#8212;Sarah Seleky, author ofand#160;This Cake Is for the Party and#160;

A peek inside the book...

If the world operated on mute, my ma would seem to you like any other Chinese lady -- on the short side of average, small-boned, but obnoxiously dressed. Think rhinestones everywhere, and if not rhinestones then sequins, and if not sequins then feathers. Sometimes all of it at the same time. Her favourite outfit is a denim suit, with rhinestone encrusted patches on the back and up and down the leg. She purposefully wears it with the collar turned up. Like the irresistibly catchy hook in the worst song youve ever heard, she finishes her China Woman Elvis ensemble off with a pair of gold and silver Coach runners. If Im really lucky that day, itll be sunny out when we go for dimsum. And shell keep her shades on as she walks into the restaurant, her entire head hidden underneath one of those massive sun visors regularly seen on Asians. People will wonder: is it a movie star or a bag lady whos pillaged a donations bin in Vegas? The face that appears when she finally removes the sunglasses and the hat is so pretty its almost ornamental. In other words, by appearance only, ma seems harmless.                 Turn up the volume and everything changes. As soon as you hear her, youll never forget her. Its the voice, a voice that earned her the nickname “Tsiahng Gai”, Squawking Chicken, when she was growing up in Hong Kong. The volume is jarring, yes. You cant imagine that something so loud can come out so effortlessly, and without warning. The Squawking Chicken doesnt give you time to acclimate to her levels. Its one level, and its all-out assault. But its also the tone -- sharp, edged, and quick, not so much a booming roar that leaves silence after it lands but a wailing siren that invades your mind, kind of like acid on the brain that results in permanent scarring.   

“I devoured this book in one sitting...alternately cheering, laughing, cringing, and gasping in horror.  Lui captures the complexity of a mother-daughter relationship that is both complicated and beautiful. Poignant with a bare honesty that may make you think (and rethink) your own relationships.”  —Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Lets Pretend This Never Happened   As the 800,000+ U.S. fans of Elaine Luis site know, her mother, aka The Squawking Chicken, is a huge factor in Elaines life. She pulls no punches, especially with her only child. “Wheres my money?” she asks every time she sees Elaine. “Youll never be Miss Hong Kong,” she informed her daughter when she was a girl. Listen to the Squawking Chicken lays bare the playbook of unusual advice, warnings, and unwavering love that has guided Elaine throughout her life. Using the nine principles that her mother used to raise her, Elaine tells us the story of the Squawking Chickens life—in which she walked an unusual path to parent with tough love, humor, and, through it all, a mothers unyielding devotion to her daughter. This is a love letter to mothers everywhere.

Elaine Luiand#160;is the voice behind the wildly popular and successful blog LaineyGossip.com, which gets nearly 1.5 million unique visitors monthly. She lives in Toronto with her husband and beagles. Listen to the Squawking Chicken is her first book.