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A review by casskrug
Woman Running in the Mountains by Yūko Tsushima
4.0
woman running in the mountains is a beautifully written account of a year in the life of a single mother, takiko, and her newborn son, akira. it begins with 20-year-old takiko going to the hospital to give birth on her own on a sweltering midsummer day, and we see her struggle against all odds to raise her son on her own. due to the rarity of children raised outside of a marriage in japan, she faces intense criticism and abuse from her family, whom she must stay with as she searches for a way to make a living and find childcare.
she grapples with feeling ambivalent towards motherhood while also drawing from a great will for both herself and her son to survive. we see how little progress has been made economically since this was written - it is impossible for takiko to pay for a home of her own and afford childcare at the same time. she also explores her desire for a married coworker, who she bonds with as they discuss their children. she sees him as a sort of mirror and stand-in for a father figure, potentially for both herself and her son.
i really enjoyed the writing style in this, as i typically do with works translated from the japanese. beautiful and descriptive without being overly flowery or hard to understand. what really struck me was the descriptions of light and greenery that can be found throughout the book, and the way they interact with each other - very shimmery and ethereal and just wonderful to read.
i do think it could've been a bit shorter as it was repetitive at times, but then again, life itself is repetitive, especially when you’re trying to find your footing within the world of work and domestic life. this was a really great read as the weather heats up, and it was a nice complement to the other motherhood-centric books i’ve been reading, as there was the unique element of pushback from takiko’s family on her decision to keep her child. i also have a copy of tsushima’s novel territory of light and am looking forward to reading more from her!
”Squinting at its brightness, Takiko descended the slope. The sun was shining directly before her, full onto her body. She smiled. No one was aware of her joy at this instant - not her mother, not her father, not a soul. She didn't think there could be any moment more luxurious than this. The sunlight felt good on her body. A hot midsummer's day was about to begin.“
she grapples with feeling ambivalent towards motherhood while also drawing from a great will for both herself and her son to survive. we see how little progress has been made economically since this was written - it is impossible for takiko to pay for a home of her own and afford childcare at the same time. she also explores her desire for a married coworker, who she bonds with as they discuss their children. she sees him as a sort of mirror and stand-in for a father figure, potentially for both herself and her son.
i really enjoyed the writing style in this, as i typically do with works translated from the japanese. beautiful and descriptive without being overly flowery or hard to understand. what really struck me was the descriptions of light and greenery that can be found throughout the book, and the way they interact with each other - very shimmery and ethereal and just wonderful to read.
i do think it could've been a bit shorter as it was repetitive at times, but then again, life itself is repetitive, especially when you’re trying to find your footing within the world of work and domestic life. this was a really great read as the weather heats up, and it was a nice complement to the other motherhood-centric books i’ve been reading, as there was the unique element of pushback from takiko’s family on her decision to keep her child. i also have a copy of tsushima’s novel territory of light and am looking forward to reading more from her!
”Squinting at its brightness, Takiko descended the slope. The sun was shining directly before her, full onto her body. She smiled. No one was aware of her joy at this instant - not her mother, not her father, not a soul. She didn't think there could be any moment more luxurious than this. The sunlight felt good on her body. A hot midsummer's day was about to begin.“