Genre: Fiction
Read-Alikes:
The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean
“Mizuki is the quintessential Japanese housewife with the ideal life. Her husband receives regular promotions, they have two beautiful children, and they live in a comfortable high-rise apartment in the city. Though outwardly she meets the cultural standard for motherhood, inside she struggles with the desire for freedom. Her brief time in New York as a single woman, first as a student and then as a singer, was her only experience away from her cultural expectations. When she meets Kiyoshi during a night out with her friends, he gives her the ticket to autonomy. As their relationship grows, Mizuki takes part in the vibrant city life and feels more like an individual rather than an invisible housewife. Soon, she begins to lead two starkly different lifestyles, and when her adulterous affair begins to clash with her sense of duty, she is forced to reassess her marriage and make a critical decision. Through clever narration and humorously witty prose, Itami explores the struggle between duty and desire, and Western and Eastern cultures, in her brilliant debut.” — Emily Park (Reviewed 8/1/2021) (Booklist, vol 117, number 22, p21)
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Thanks for reading,
George, FTPL
