User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
What have I just read! Oh boy, I am in shock.
I loved this so much!
When asked by the publishers if I’d like to consider reading this, I read the blurb.
I’ve been reading a lot of thrillers and after reading the blurb on this book, my thoughts were, oh, set in Japan about an arranged marriage, seems pretty simple, obviously she didn’t want to marry her suitor.
Was I wrong!
Well....I was right but not in the full sense of this.
It’s not what I thought, it’s not “just” a love story it’s so very much more than this.
There’s a side by side story running parallel too which comes together in one huge emotional BANG I wouldn’t have guessed it if I tried in a month of Sunday’s.
It’s sad, it’s emotional, it’s uplifting and my word.....when I got to the end I laid my kindle down and couldn’t help appreciating the superb writing. The insight to The culture and beliefs.
The love between a Mother and daughter.
Friendship and learning to trust.
Hardship and adversity.
Being strong, and I don’t mean just being brave.
Loss.
Love.
Acceptance.
This story will stay with me forever.
It’s been Women in translation month. This is near right?! It’s at least based in another country.
Oh.....I have to tell you this.
When I got to the end and reading the authors thoughts and where she had taken her information from I was shocked!
This is based on fact.
It’s fiction but it happened.
If you read it, you will understand what I mean.
I was gobsmacked at the facts, I was born in 1958.
These events are based in the 50’s.
An absolutely amazing and informative read.
Rating: really liked it
A beautifully-told work of historical fiction! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
The Woman in the White Kimono is told in two timelines. The first is Japan in the 1950s.
Naoko Nakamura’s arranged marriage to the son of a friend of her father’s is important to reinforce the status of her family in the community; however, Naoko loves another. She’s in love with a gaijin, an American sailor.
To marry an American would be shameful for her and her family. Naoko becomes pregnant, and she is cut out of her family and left on her own to make decisions with grave outcomes impacting her for a lifetime.
The second timeline is the US in the present day. Tori Kovac’s father is terminally ill, and she is his caretaker. She finds a letter with a shocking secret. Tori travels all the way to Japan to find the truth.
Ana Johns was inspired by true stories to write this novel. Her writing is glorious and poetic with a beautiful setting. I knew very little about this time in US and Japanese history. The choices Naoko faced were devastating. Her love for Hajime was so stunningly drawn.
The Woman in the White Kimono is not suspenseful, and I don’t think it’s meant to be. It’s simply a powerful and emotional portrayal of a woman trapped between her true love and her family, culture, and security.
Overall, complex characters with a profound and poignant story, I highly recommend The Woman in the White Kimono for historical fiction fans.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Rating: really liked it
Oh I loved this……… An elegant and beautifully written historical fiction story which was loosely inspired by the military experience of the author's father.I had been wanting to read this book for some time and for some unknown reason just kept putting it off. I am so glad to have finally read this beautiful story and enjoyed every minute spent with this book.
Japan 1957 Nabokov Nakamura has fallen in love with a young American sailor. While she is convinced her family will accept him in time, she makes plans to spend the rest of her life with the man she loves. However her family can’t accept the situation and turn their backs on her and she is forced to make unimaginable choices.
America - Present day Tori Kodachrome finds a letter containing a shocking revelation in which she questions everything about her father and her family to this point. She embarks on a journey to find the truth and confront her father’s past.
Oh I do enjoy books where family secrets come back to haunt in present day times and The Woman in the White Kimono is tender, beautifully written and deeply moving and really does make you pause to think and wonder about this time in Japan’s and America’s history.
It’s a suspenseful novel and you become invested in the characters and want the best for them.
I particularly loved the ending. Highly recommend. A beautifully written novel and another one for my favorites and real life bookshelf.
Rating: really liked it
𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Ana Johns swept me away with her words and her stunning storytelling. Two women, two countries, thousands of miles and decades of years apart, but there is something that binds them. Japan 1957 Naoko finds herself caught between love, culture, and family obligations. Naoko is 17 and her parents have arranged a marriage for her, a marriage that will help her family’s business out immensely. The problem is Naoko is in love with another man, an American soldier. Not only does this not go over well with her family, but it does not go over well with most of Japan who still sees America as the enemy in this post WWII era. But Naoko is determined to follow her heart, but how much will she lose in the process? The US, present day Tori is taking care of her ailing father when she discovers a letter full of secrets. After her dad passes away she sells his beloved Cadillac and takes a journey to Japan to find out the truth.
Beautifully told, I was completely mesmerized by Miss Johns’ writing. I know I’ve mentioned this before in a review but I find the eastern culture fascinating and I am always excited to read about this part of the world. I truly had no idea there was so much hatred towards America in Japan after WWII, but why wouldn’t there be? I could only imagine how challenging this relationship was for Naoko, although I think she was a little naïve as to what all was implied. I found her to be a bit of a contradiction she was strong and feisty, but had the innocence of a child. What she went through was horrific, and it is incredible that I have read so many books that take place in so many different parts of the world where women are subjected to similar situations. The sad thing is I’d venture to guess things like this are still going on today in certain parts of the world. While I found Naoko’s story more compelling than Tori’s, tori’s story might have been the more important one. I like how the storylines were brought together, but it sure did not end how I was hoping it would. Although there is probably more truth in tragedy.
Rating: really liked it
Favorite Quotes:
Each step I took brought me closer to my future and farther away from my family. It was a contrast of extremes in every sense, but I had somehow found my place between them. That was what Buddha called the middle way. The correct balance of life. I called it happy. A life with love is happy. A life for love is foolish. A life of if only is unbearable. In my seventy-eight years, I have had all three.
“Chase two hares and you will catch neither,” says Grandmother. This is but a single parable in her arsenal of many. She releases them like arrows, but instead of one, which breaks with ease, she slings ten to a bundle.
I should hurry, but I’m already late, and as Grandmother says, “If you are going to eat poison, you may as well clean your plate.” I kick the gravel, causing angry puffs of loose dirt to rise in protest.
When I first met Hajime in Yokosuka, his eyes charmed me. They captured light and sparkled like water absorbing the sun.
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.
Time is a stubborn creature that delights in goading you. When happy, it sprouts wings and flies. When waiting, it drags through thick mud with heavy feet.
My Review:
Ana Johns is a bewitching storyteller. Her expertly crafted tale mesmerized and gutted me while essentially holding me transfixed to my Kindle from start to finish. How is this astounding work her first novel?!? I rarely cry but this poignantly written book moved me to tears several times and, okay, I will even confess to ugly cry sobbing. Any author who can perform such a rare fete deserves a ten-star rating.
The storylines were a well-researched blend of fact and fiction while cunningly related within brilliant and highly emotive narratives. I instantly fell right into Ms. John’s cleverly woven story as if sucked into a vortex that zipped me back and forth from post-war 1950s Japan and present-day USA - and thankfully did so with without jetlag, confusion, or motion sickness. The characters were compellingly drawn, admirable, and strong - yet struggling with limited choices and truly miserable options. I was intrigued, horrified, staggered, completely invested, heartbroken, enthralled, and totally engaged by this powerful and transportive story. It is safe to say that Ana Johns has a newly minted fangirl.
Rating: really liked it
“...worry gives a small thing big shadows.”“The Woman in the White Kimono” is a mesmerizing and emotional read. This is why I love historical fiction genre so much, books like this one truly captivate me, give me all the feelings, but also every single time, allow me to learn new things. This story is poetic, hypnotic, and elegant while it also digs deep into the history of Japanese women during WW2, who found love in less than traditional places. Women ostracized for whom they loved, disowned by their families, cut off from everyone they known and loved, and forced to make choices that were truly heart breaking.
“The ground beneath my feet shifts, causing outward tremors in all directions. We stand on a cultural fault line, the fracture running miles deep, and the potential aftermath catastrophic. My intent may displace sides, but this baby connects us all like a bridge...”Ana Jones not only writes in a beautiful and graceful style, but she also shows passion for her work by the way she presents the research she had to do while writing this novel. While this book is not a mystery or suspense read I could not stop reading it, there was such a strong pull for this story that I read it in just few hours. I highly recommend this book to all the historical fiction fans.
Thank you Edelweiss, Park Row Publishing, and the author, Ana Johns, for giving me an opportunity to read an early copy of this beautiful book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rating: really liked it
I received an ARC of this book for free from TLC Book Tours as part of a review tour.
This was such a heartbreaking read! It was sad, yet beautifully written.
This book has dual storylines, but I loved that the author really let the historical story shine! Naoko’s story was the more interesting of the two, so I was glad that the author devoted more time to it and was able to really flesh it out.
The subject matter of the book touches upon a very unknown part of history. It deals with the relationship between American servicemen and local Japanese woman and the children they had. I never knew about this so I was really fascinated by this story. Also being mixed race myself (I’m Filipino and white) I was particularly struck by the attitudes towards mixed race people. I could tell that the author did a lot of research and I liked the author’s note at the end where she talks about the real life inspiration behind the book.
The strongest part of the book is the writing. Ana Johns writes in such a tragically beautiful way that perfectly captures the mood of the story.
The book is a little slow in the beginning, especially with the contemporary storyline. But by the time you get near the end, you’ll be flipping pages like crazy to find out what happens next.
Overall, I recommend this book for historical fiction lovers, especially those with an interest in Japan.
Rating: really liked it
The Woman in the White Kimono, is a work of fiction based in 2 decades, the present day and Japan 1957. However, it draws its inspiration from the authors fathers own experience having met and fallen in love with a Japanese girl while he was enlisted in the US navy and the many Japanese women, exiled in their own country or discriminated against in the US. That is for the small number that managed to overcome the strict immigration laws in the US.
Ana Johns tells their story through two women, Tori Kova, the daughter of Hajmine who is dying when the story begins and Naoka Nakamura who knew the boy that became the man.
Naoka is destined to fulfil her father’s wishes and enter a prearranged marriage to Satoshi, son of a wealthy business contact of Naoka’s father. However, the daughter’s heart has been stolen by another, Hajime and soon finds herself, like many before her, pregnant with his child. Naoka’s father has strict rules and refuses to acknowledge the daughters wishes and despite her cunning plans to make her father see sense he remains rigid and unrelenting. For the other family members, the advice comes through some elegant quotes
“You must choose your love and love your choice”
“To know your direction you must know both your roots and your reach”
Naoka, marries Hajime and on her wedding day receives an unexpected visitor with a very special gift. Her mother who brings her own White Kimono for the wedding ceremony and stays long enough to see her daughter dressed. Hajime leaves 2 weeks later with a promise of return.
Tori, has been given a letter by her father, written to Naoka (Cricket) which blows a hole in Tori’s own image of her father, who had never disclosed this person he loved and the daughter he had fathered (Little Bird). Wanting to connect with her family, Tori sets out for Japan to uncover the truth and that she does. In doing so she learns more about her father and his previous life, for he has loved and fathered another daughter. Tori learns to accept the love her father had for this other wife and she also finds peace for the two sisters share a name Little Bird, only Tori’s in Japanese means little bird.
This is a heartfelt story because it happened to so many Japanese women who suffered from the ingrained prejudices in the US and in Japan. Over 10,000 children were born to US service men, and many were surrendered to an orphanage in Oiso for mixed race children. Never to be accepted in either society.
The story is familiar to many readers, but Ana Johns wrote this story with such passion but not “sappy”. I loved the story, it was sad but uplifting, and it felt real with some simple but powerful messages and quotes throughout, which made this book very special. A great read and a pleasant change for those of us who like Crime / Thrillers and a perfect choice for those of us who also like historical fiction.
Rating: really liked it
I've seen Woman in the White Kimono compared to Memoirs of a Geisha.
I've read both.
As someone who has lived in Japan, married to a Japanese, and watches plenty of Japanese TV, my personal opinion is that Woman in the White Kimono is so much better. The meticulous research that went into the time period is coupled with an amazingly authentic voice, where a glorious narrative evokes emotional highs and lows. It's a poignant story of love, loss, and redemption.
Rating: really liked it
This is a real heartbreaking story. A fiction novel based on the author’s fathers own experience. He fell in love with beautiful Japanese girl while serving in the
U.S. Navy, but her family did not approve because he was American.
Ana John’s sweeps you away with her beautiful writing and prose.
“A life with love is happy. A life for love is foolish. A life of if only is unbearable.”
Japan 1957, Naoko Nakamura has a pre arranged marriage to someone she doesn’t love. Naoka is in love with her American sailor, and wants nothing to do with the arranged marriage. To marry her sailor would bring shame to the family. When Naoko thinks that she is pregnant, she is shunned from her family.
Present Day America, Tori Kovac is caring for her dying father and is given a letter from her father about another life he lived prior to marrying her mother. After her father passes, Tori takes a trip to Japan to find the truth.
This is a beautifully written tale of love, hope and how prejudice can tear a family apart.
Just compelling.
Rating: really liked it
I hate books that make me cry.
Rating: really liked it
I found this a pleasant enough read but it didn’t get to me the way it seems to have got to so many other readers. I found it quite lightweight, and the characterisation rather hackneyed. Inspired by a true story, the novel tells of two women on opposite sides of the world whose lives collide unexpectedly. Yet another dual-time novel (isn’t this format getting a bit tired now?) we switch between Japan in 1957 and present-day America. Naoko Nakamura is being prepared for her arranged marriage to a man who will bring wealth and status to her family, but unfortunately she has fallen in love with an American – an oh so handsome and too good to be true - sailor stationed in Japan as part of the occupying forces after the war. Bet you can already guess where that part of the story is heading. Then we switch to America where Tori’s beloved father is dying and on his deathbed leaves her a letter telling her about his post-war experiences in Japan. You can fill in the rest of the story for yourself. The research is good and I’ve no doubt that Naoko’s experiences were all too common. It’s a sad story, but let down by the depiction of Naoko herself (so stereotypically Japanese) and Tori (so excitably American). All very predictable and ultimately, for me, quite dull.
Rating: really liked it
This story is told in two parts by two women—Naoko's story when she was 17 in 1957 and her American sailor. The second part of the story is told in the present-day with Tori Kovac and a letter her dad hands to her as he is dying from cancer that was returned from Japan and talking about his daughter. The two tales are interwoven as they head towards a climactic ending that may merge their lives.
Honestly, this book was emotionally hard to read from the very beginning. Naoko had crappy several years of life during the book, and I always wanted her to find a way to get away from the oppressive, heavy mantle of traditional views. I was more emotionally connected to Naoko than Tori, as Tori's character was relatively flat in comparison.
I thoroughly enjoyed the epilogue about Ana John's life experience and her research and background into the ideas that came to life. I hope she continues to write as she has a gift for bringing history to life.
4 stars for me.
Rating: really liked it
Set in present day and 1950s Japan, we follow two women’s paths in life. Not really knowing much about post-war Japan, the writer successfully portrays a rigid culture that was immediately immersive and completely compelling.
I loved this book from the opening pages and felt that I could have easily read this in one sitting. Drawn in by the beautiful cover, the narrative itself is equally beautiful. The writer often makes references to Japanese folklore and proverbs and this enriched the story even more. Indeed, it felt as though I was reading a true story and I believed in the characters, both past and present.
It is evident that the author has researched this period of time and I was intrigued by a culture that I know very little about. The stigma attached to having relationships with the American soldiers meant that unfortunate women/young girls would find themselves ostracised from their family and ensnared in a very sobering maternity hospital. This is the situation that 1950s Naoko finds herself in. In contrast, present day Tori, discovers that there is more to her father’s past than she realised. Taking her on a journey to Japan, Tori and Naoko’s histories become irrevocably entwined.
The writer carefully switches between the two timelines and I appreciated how she gradually establishes connections between Tori and Naoko. I could not have seen how the story would conclude and I enjoyed the eventual revelations. I fell in love with the whole cast and the love between Naoko and Hajime was boundless. It was easy to picture these characters and believe in the struggles that they faced.
This well written piece of historical fiction was a breath of fresh air with its unique topic. I have come across few novels that approach this time period and the writer creatively builds a narrative that is not too dense nor overwhelming. A powerful and emotional portrayal of two women’s difficult journeys, this will certainly appeal to all fans of historical fiction.
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to everyone at Legend Press and Ana Johns for allowing me to participate in this blog tour.
Rating: really liked it
What an incredibly beautiful book! This might be my favorite read of the year. I highly recommend to all. 😊
