A book jacket design for The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, which uses Chinese restaurants as a classic symbol of  Chinese immigration and the American Dream. The broken fortune cookie and disassembled take-out box represent independence and rejection of one’s predetermined fate, emphasizing strength in this tale of four mothers and daughters.

Process

I noticed existing covers for this book mostly looked outdated, and I wanted my approach to stand out while still preserving a sense of the story. As I started brainstorming themes and materials, I wanted to highlight a more abstract overarching message to encompass the book’s numerous characters. In the photography process, I ultimately decided to use fortune cookie crumbs to help lead the eye around the entire jacket. 

Fun Fact: 5 fortune cookies were sacrificed in the making of this project ︎