[Note: The following biography was prepared and presented by Board member and journalist Emerald Yeh at the 13th Annual Asian Pacific Fund Gala on October 3, 2009.] Our honoree tonight is the world-famous author of a string of best-selling novels including “The Joy Luck Club.” Her books have received numerous prestigious awards and been translated into 35 languages. She co-produced and screenwrote the much-acclaimed movie “The Joy Luck Club” and wrote the libretto for a major opera based on another book “The Bonesetter’s Daughter.” Her children’s book about her cat, Sagwa, was turned into a PBS animated series. She is frequently invited to luminary addresses around the world from the White House to the Davos Summit to the Getty Mansion in Pacific Heights. She sings in a rock band to raise money for charity and is a highly sought-after speaker. Our honoree tonight was a child who failed her mother’s dream to become a concert pianist, got B’s in English, scored in the 60th or 70th percentile on achievements tests and dreaded being chosen last for school teams. She was a rebellious teenager who often clashed with her mother and a runaway who had to be brought home by the police. Both introductions are accurate and that is what makes Amy Tan so familiar in her appeal. Beneath her fame and success is a person so many of us can relate to. | 
