Tan often depicts issues of sadness, death and the meaning of existence, topics that are usually considered appropriate only for older readers; should young children be protected or excluded from these real and complex issues of our world?
雖然他常觸及悲傷、死亡、存在意義等主題，比較適合年紀較大的讀者，「但難道孩子就該被保護著？不該讓他們接觸真實複雜的世界？」