Novelist Amy Tan has always turned to her own family for writing inspiration. “The Joy Luck Club,” one of her most famous books, has autobiographical elements.
Now, she has some fascinating new material to work with thanks to her “Finding Your Roots” appearance.
The 72-year-old sat down with the show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., for the Jan. 21 episode of the PBS series to trace her family tree and learn more about her ancestors.
In TODAY.com’s exclusive clip from the episode, Tan goes deep into her family tree, starting with her 22nd great-grandfather, who was the founder of Tan’s family clan in the 12th century.