Review: TEA WITH MILK by Allen Say

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Say, Allen.1999. Tea with Milk. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395904951.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Allen Say recounts his mother’s story of being a young Japanese woman who was raised in the United States but then forced to move back to Japan just after graduating from high school. She is faced with new cultural challenges and the conflict between old world traditions and her own dreams of becoming an independent woman.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This sweet story is written in such soft language that it cannot help but touch the reader’s heart. May’s struggles with having to learn the traditional ways of a “proper” Japanese lady and her own desire to go to college and live in a city are similar to many coming of age issues except that May must battle against her parents’ wishes in order to make her dreams come true. It is through this struggle that the Japanese traditions are revealed to the reader. When May must not only learn to arrange flowers and make tea properly but also meet with a matchmaker to choose her husband, we learn about the expectations placed on young Japanese women.

Each page of text is accompanied by a full-page illustration showing May as she transitions from one event in her life to the next. The softness of each painting adds to the already touching narrative. The facial expressions help the reader connect to May’s story because they capture her personality perfectly, from the dismay and discouragement she feels early in the story to the determination and pride that accompany her accomplishments in the last half of the book.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “Whether the subject is food ("no more pancakes or omelets, fried chicken or spaghetti" in Japan) or the deeper issues of ostracism (her fellow students call Masako "gaijin" a foreigner) and gender expectations, Say provides gentle insights into human nature as well as East-West cultural differences... Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “The pages are filled with detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing, and because of the artist's mastery at drawing figures, the people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters. This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.”

5. CONNECTIONS
This book is filled with many customs related to the expectation of young Japanese women. Students should be encouraged to learn more about these traditions and compare them to what is expected of young American girls.

Pair the reading of this book with Grandfather’s Journey also a family story written by Allen Say.