Angela Davis-Gardner

Esta novela nos traslada al Tokio de 1966, dos décadas después del final de la segunda guerra mundial. Bárbara, una joven profesora norteamericana que lleva sólo unos meses dando clases en una universidad japonesa, recibe una terrible noticia: Michiko, su anfitriona y única amiga, casi su segunda madre, acaba de fallecer. Como legado, Michiko le ha dejado un hermoso pero misterioso recuerdo: el diario personal de las mujeres de su familia. Con la ayuda de un traductor tan enigmático como atractivo, Bárbara empezará a descifrar los escritos de Michiko y sus antepasadas, e irá descubriendo, página a página, el difícil destino de una saga de mujeres que, como las flores de invierno, tuvieron que luchar contra demasiadas cosas para sobrevivir y dar su fruto.… (plus d'informations)

Barbara Jefferson is an American teaching in Japan, and her professor, Michi, who was like a mother to her, died and leaves her a tansu chest full of plum wine. Each bottle of wine was made in a different year and has a paper wrapped aorund it with the story of that year written on it in Japanese. It's an odd inheritance for Barbara, who doesn't speak or read Japanese. She wants to read the story and know more about Michi, as she realizes she didn't know that much about her personally, although she was close to her in many ways.

An acquaintance of Michi's and fellow hibakusha (survivor of the Hiroshima bombing), Seiji, a moody and talented pottery artist, helps Barbara translate the papers. Their relationship grows, and with it, brings confusion to Barbara's world.

I liked and disliked this book. The interweaving of the stories about "kitsune," Japanese folklore about foxes, the stories of the hibakusha, and descriptions of Japan give the story great atmosphere and transport you to Japan. So those are the good points of hte book. But, as the cover says in one of its critic review, "A heartrending story of love and loss . . . .masterful."

There were a few standout scenes in the book. Michi and Barbara's visit to the Buddha of Kamakura, and feeling they were in the womb of the Buddha was interesting and provided a great backdrop for conversations about mothers and relationships. I liked Barbara's speculation about her mother's feelings: "My mother always wanted a daughter like her, someone adventurous but conventional. A suit-and-pants kind of woman who takes flying lessons."… (plus d'informations)

This book that has been on my to read shelf for a couple of years, but it was not until this month that I decided to pick it up. The reason? My daughter just made her role debut in the opera Madama Butterfly!! The book became a must read NOW! I agree with other reviewers that the author did a good job of painting a picture of Midwest farm life and attitudes in the late 19th century, as well as researching both the time and place of both the US and Japan during this period. I encourage others to read interviews with the author about that aspect of the writing process. I was totally surprised by the final outcome of the novel and felt the author did a great job of capturing the reactions and feelings of the central characters. I highly recommend this book.… (plus d'informations)