The Kitchen God's Wife, published in 1991 by Putnam of New York, was Tan's second novel. While many predicted that Tan would not be able to achieve the success of her first novel, this work received many accolades. It, too, deals with mother/daughter themes but also hints that male-centered social traditions hinder women's relationships with each other. Set in pre- and post-World War II China, the story portrays a woman's struggles in an abusive relationship. In writing this book, Tan tells a story that is very similar to her mother's.

In a children's picture book entitled The Moon Lady, Amy Tan extends the story from the chapter of the same title in her first novel Published in 1992 by Macmillan, The Moon Lady appeals to preteens as an introduction to Tan's themes and style The Moon Lady is about a seven-year-old...