The Woman in the White Kimono
A Novel
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4.3 • 80 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
"Cinematic, deeply moving, and beautifully written." --Carol Mason, author of After You Left
Inspired by true stories, The Woman in the White Kimono illuminates a searing portrait of one woman torn between her culture and her heart, and another woman on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.
Japan, 1957. Seventeen-year-old Naoko Nakamura’s prearranged marriage secures her family’s status in their traditional Japanese community. However, Naoko has fallen for an American sailor, and to marry him would bring great shame upon her entire family. When it’s learned Naoko carries the sailor’s child, she’s cast out in disgrace and forced to make unimaginable choices with consequences that will ripple across generations.
America, present day. Tori Kovac finds a letter containing a shocking revelation. Setting out to learn the truth, Tori's journey leads her to a remote seaside village in Japan, where she must confront the demons of the past to pave a way for redemption. In breathtaking prose, The Woman in the White Kimono shows how two women, decades apart, are inextricably bound by the secrets between them.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Johns's rich and memorable debut alternates from the present to the past as a daughter uncovers shocking secrets about her father. In 1957, Tori Kovac's father was in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Japan where he met and fell in love with beautiful Naoko. Her family was opposed to their marriage, having already picked a husband for Naoko. In the present day, Tori, a journalist, cares for her widower father after his cancer diagnosis, taking him to doctor's appointments at a cancer center in Ohio. Shortly before he dies, Tori's father gives her a letter that he believes will help her understand the secrets of his life when he was a young man in the Navy. The letter is addressed to a Japanese woman who is the mother of his daughter. After reading the letter, Tori becomes determined to find out if she has a half-sister in Japan. Tori travels to Japan to uncover secrets from her father's past, and she questions why her father would have left the woman and child behind. Johns does a good job depicting the 1950s Japan setting, but the highlight is the strong characterization of Tori. This novel about unearthing the past packs an emotional punch.
Customer Reviews
The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns
My thanks to Ms Johns for writing such a beautiful story of love, truth & tragedy based on events in Japan’s history after WWII❣️❤️👍. The story revolves around the love between Naoko, a young Japanese lady & Hajimi, an American sailor based at the port in 1954-1957! They marry against her family’s wishes as well as his Naval Commander’s arrogant denial‼️ When it’s known Naoko is married & pregnant, she is forced from her home to live in a village with Hajimi & others determined unworthy by their culture‼️. When her husband is away on duty for two weeks, Naoko finds her Mother has passed, her father & grandmother furious & is unknowingly whisked off to a maternity center where she & other pregnant young women are faced with mistreatment, screaming births & then silence‼️😢. If she hears a baby’s first cry it is brief, so brief! Naoko wants her baby & tries to escape & fails many times while Housemother Sato keeps her too weak to make trouble! A new girl befriends her & together finally escape to the Monks & Nuns in the nearby Monastery where Naoko gives birth to her little girl she & Hajimi lovingly call Little Bird. The baby is sickly & will not eat, but she never gives up hope until. . .
Hajimi never returned to Japan & when he passes from cancer at 78❣️😢. He gave daughter a letter addressed to a woman in Japan & later returned to her father. After reading it over & over, Tori decides fly to Japan to find the woman & her sister! As a journalist, she researches & discovers clues & eventually meets Naoko! It is from their conversation & Tori’s gut instinct that she finally realizes her truth❣️. Get your copy of this amazing, beautifully written, emotional novel‼️👍. I learned quite a lot of the history & culture of Japan & her people as well as our relationship with them! This isn’t just a great read, but a wonderful experience❣️❤️🙏👏. Enjoy!
Carol R.
Florida USA
Beautiful Story
This book was a page turner. Loved all the historical information. It was a love story that faced the obstacles of post World War II. It was sad, beautiful, and inspiring all in one. I really enjoyed this book.