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Beijing Tai Tai: Life, Laughter and Motherhood in China's Capital
by
Tania McCartney (Goodreads Author)
Intensely personal, at times a little controversial, Beijing Tai Tai is a rollercoaster ride of honesty and openness as a wife (tai tai) and mother juggles suburban family life in urban Beijing. Presented in a series of love/hate column-like snippets - on topics ranging from the consumption of bull testicles to the life-altering experience of walking the Great Wall - it ex...more
Paperback, Revised and Updated New Edition, 254 pages
Published
April 2012
by Exisle Publishing
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Lovely "snippets" about life in Beijing -- basically a blog turned into book form. Charming, but oh SO shallow! Most "entries" are of a three-paragraph sort of format -- a little setup, the tale, incident or whatever, then the sentimental sigh over how life is so a) whimsical, b) full of unexpected beauty, c) full of trials that just make expat life in China all the more interesting. Even the 2-3 page entries (i.e., LONG essays by her standard) follow about this same basic format. Fascinating lo...more
This book was so much fun! I laughed out loud a number of times and tsk-tsked when yet another pet was accumulated by the family (you will understand when you read it). I shook my head at the antics of the Ayi (the maid). I shopped alongside the author as she frequented yet another market bulging with fabrics or jewellery. My heart broke at the tears she shed over her departed mother, particularly at Christmas. I also marvelled at the adaptability of her children in a foreign land and smiled to...more
I make no apologies for the following metaphor especially when I adore Yum Cha as much as I adored Tania McCartney's latest offering, Beijing Tai Tai. Sitting down to Tai Tai, was like settling in for a mouthwatering feast of Yum Cha. Served in small tantilisingly easy to digest morsels, each piece of Tania's four year residency in Beijing left my mouth watering for more. Each bite was impressively seasoned with raw emotion, succlent insights and a crisp candour positively crackling with humour....more
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McCartney writes with verve and wit about her experiences as a 'tai tai' (read, 'lady-who-lunches') in Beijing when her husband gets a job in the Chinese city and they haul the family over. McCartney is a likeable, authentic voice and it's a must-read for anyone preparing to live in China. For everyone else, McCartney has great tropes on motherhood, funny takes on shopping and a lovely warmth and enthusiasm about her experiences. The only negative I had about this book was an initial wrestle wit...more
Great entertainment!
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Tania McCartney is an author, publisher, editor and book reviewer.
She runs literary site Kids Book Review, and has written for several online sites including Maeve magazine, Tickle the Imagination magazine and Australian Women Online. Tania is also an ACT Ambassador for the National Year of Reading.
Her current books include Riley and the Grumpy Wombat: A journey around Melbourne (Ford Street Pub...more
More about Tania McCartney...
She runs literary site Kids Book Review, and has written for several online sites including Maeve magazine, Tickle the Imagination magazine and Australian Women Online. Tania is also an ACT Ambassador for the National Year of Reading.
Her current books include Riley and the Grumpy Wombat: A journey around Melbourne (Ford Street Pub...more
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