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thereadingpotato 's review for:
The Woman in the White Kimono
by Ana Johns
3.5/5. This is a dual-timeline novel that explores how secrets and cultural expectations can divide families and force unimaginable choices to be made. Present-day Tori Kovac is left with a shocking revelation about her recently deceased father, leading her to Japan and Naoko Nakamura, whose story takes place in 1957 when she marries an American soldier and becomes pregnant, disgracing her family who sends her to a maternity house, where her fight is only just beginning.
This was a heavy read. The author sought to shed light on the tragic practices against Japanese-American infants in the 1950s, including the racism and infanticide that took place, at which I believe she was successful. Incorporating the true stories of women from the time, this book captures Japanese-American relations, including all the loss and sacrifice, that characterized the time period. I found the exploration of what one is willing to sacrifice for love very interesting and the writing style easy to follow.
With such a strong focus on motherhood and the treatment of mixed race infants, some of the character relationships were left underdeveloped. The past storyline from Naoko’s perspective was also significantly stronger than the present-day timeline, but I did enjoy how the two converged in the end.
I would recommend this one to those that enjoy historical fiction and want to learn more about this time period as long as they are prepared for topics that are often heavy and heartbreaking.
This was a heavy read. The author sought to shed light on the tragic practices against Japanese-American infants in the 1950s, including the racism and infanticide that took place, at which I believe she was successful. Incorporating the true stories of women from the time, this book captures Japanese-American relations, including all the loss and sacrifice, that characterized the time period. I found the exploration of what one is willing to sacrifice for love very interesting and the writing style easy to follow.
With such a strong focus on motherhood and the treatment of mixed race infants, some of the character relationships were left underdeveloped. The past storyline from Naoko’s perspective was also significantly stronger than the present-day timeline, but I did enjoy how the two converged in the end.
I would recommend this one to those that enjoy historical fiction and want to learn more about this time period as long as they are prepared for topics that are often heavy and heartbreaking.