Overview
In this fiendishly funny and charming novel, a young woman revisits her childhood and realizes all was not as it seemed.
Tan’s attempt to write her first novel, A Clueless Man Shakes His Thump-Thumping Head, is not going well. She tries to write a memoir instead, but this involves checking her own memories against her parents and old classmates, who are surprised to hear from her after all these years. “Are you dying?” asks one perplexed friend.
Tan is not dying, but she does want to figure out how many of her own highly curious memories from childhood are accurate: the guessing game played on the day her parents announced their divorce, a kissing ritual among boarding school roommates, the life-affirming meditation triggered by a piece of spinach flailing in a sink. Threading together Tan’s memories and conversations with mordant humor, Lee Chia-Ying dramatizes the hilarity and horrors of being a young person.
Masterful, witty, and bold, A Perfect Day to Put Your Head in the Oven is a brilliant account of innocence lost and paints a devastating picture of the loneliness of growing up and the first encounters of disappointment, betrayal, death, and love. The novel is as courageous as its protagonist: dedicated to staying true and not afraid of losing one’s plot.
Tan’s attempt to write her first novel, A Clueless Man Shakes His Thump-Thumping Head, is not going well. She tries to write a memoir instead, but this involves checking her own memories against her parents and old classmates, who are surprised to hear from her after all these years. “Are you dying?” asks one perplexed friend.
Tan is not dying, but she does want to figure out how many of her own highly curious memories from childhood are accurate: the guessing game played on the day her parents announced their divorce, a kissing ritual among boarding school roommates, the life-affirming meditation triggered by a piece of spinach flailing in a sink. Threading together Tan’s memories and conversations with mordant humor, Lee Chia-Ying dramatizes the hilarity and horrors of being a young person.
Masterful, witty, and bold, A Perfect Day to Put Your Head in the Oven is a brilliant account of innocence lost and paints a devastating picture of the loneliness of growing up and the first encounters of disappointment, betrayal, death, and love. The novel is as courageous as its protagonist: dedicated to staying true and not afraid of losing one’s plot.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry A Perfect Day to Put Your Head in the Oven (A Novel), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of A Perfect Day to Put Your Head in the Oven (A Novel).