‘The Japanese Lover‘  by Isabel Allonde

Having read three autobiographical books in quick succession, I really needed to lose myself amongst the pages of a good story. Thankfully, that is just what one of my book clubs came up with this month:

Rather than being a light ‘chick-lit’ as suggested by the title, this was a sweeping tale which crossed generations, time and continents. Ok, it is essentially a love-story but there is no sugar coating – brutality of the war years, true friendships, loss, questions of identity, indignities of aging and many other human frailties are included. In parts this book was funny, at times it was sad, and some content taught me things I had not known before.

Reviews of this book elsewhere have been very mixed. Whilst some enthusiastically praised the complicated, engaging plot, others wrote of a boring tale which failed to conjure any emotions in the reader. I guess that a lot depends on what was expected from the author (if known from her previous books) or her book. I didn’t have any expectations and was just looking for a story which could interest and entertain me.

Overall, although ‘The Japanese Lover’ may be a tad disjointed, with some details very conveniently included in order to wrap the tale together, I found this book to be an interesting and compelling read.

Spoiler alert!  The plot follows the life of Alma who, as a young child, was sent from Poland, to live with an aunt in the USA. She soon made two strong bonds – with her cousin Nathaniel, and with Ichimei, the young son of the Japanese gardener employed at her aunt’s opulent mansion in San Francisco. 

Set mainly at a home for the elderly, the story emerges through a friendship between Alma and Irina, a young care-worker with a devastating back-story of her own. Flashbacks provide much of the details we need.

You may or may not guess how the tale ends, you may or may not like the end. But I think you will enjoy the read.