The Woman in the White Kimono
Ana Johns
Genre:
Historical, Domestic, Book Club of the Month
Title: The Woman in the White Kimono
Author: Ana Johns
Genre: Historical, Domestic
Publisher: Legend Press
Date of Publication: 2019
Format: Paperback that I purchased
My Rating: 4/5
About book: Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage secures her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community. However, Naoko has fallen for an American sailor and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
America, present day. Tori Kovač, caring for her dying father, finds a letter containing a shocking revelation. Setting out to learn the truth, Tori’s journey leads her to a remote seaside village in Japan where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption.
My thoughts: An intriguing book right from the start. A feast of description that allows you to move through the pages with ease and wonder, as if you are there with them, looking on from the side-lines. The Japanese descriptions of culture and traditions are exquisite. The book moves between the two eras seamlessly. I really enjoyed the stories the father told to the daughter in the present day, and it was interesting later with her trying to piece things together. The descriptions made the book feel real and intimate
The book expertly directed between the two eras continued throughout the book, and I found myself wanting to know more to find out the truth of what happened. A true page turner full of emotion.
I loved the quote “To pick the correct one is fate, To pick the wrong one is also fate. So, you must choose your love, and be prepared to love your choice.”