Margaret Robinson's Literary "Arrival"

The writer published her first story she was 35; her first novel came out nine years later. Her latest book, Silver, is about marriage, domesticity and suburban life.

The author's new book, about a fifteen year old girl's longing for adventure, takes the form of a memoir -- but the story is invented. Schwartz joins Fresh Air to talk about her protagonist's sexuality and the boundless power of fiction.

Tan's first novel is called The Joy Luck Club, which is about a group of Chinese mothers who try to understand their American-born daughters. She joins Fresh Air to discuss her relationship with her own mother, and her mother's home country.