The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club [Paperback]

Christy Yorke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2, 2005

For years, Jina, Irene, Mary, and Alice have been telling their secrets over sushi. But when struggling novelist Alice finally writes a bestseller, the other three are horrified to see their lives in its pages. Alice says she never meant to hurt anyone. But her novel could very well destroy them all. In search of answers and healing, these four women journey into the wilderness together. There they face their greatest test-one of physical and emotional endurance that will reveal more about them than any tell-all book.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Illuminating...lyrical. (Kirkus Reviews)

About the Author

Christy Yorke grew up in Los Angeles. She lives with her husband and two young children in Boise, Idaho, and writes mornings while her children are at school.

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1St Edition edition (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425202755
• ISBN-13: 978-0425202753
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,675,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling adventure story for women!, July 30, 2005

By 

Jo Hendrickson "Jo" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club (Paperback)

The title suggests a light chick-lit book, but this novel is way more than that. The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club is the story of four women whose deepest secrets make it into print, thanks to the betrayal of one they considered a friend. In the aftermath of instant celebrity and scandal, they take a rafting trip together down the Salmon River and discover even more secrets about each other. Great surprises I won't give away! This is a powerful story about the mistakes women often make when they're young and not so young, and the joys they share with each other. I loved the male characters too, especially Jina's boyfriend, Mike, who isn't the perfect man, but is so perfect for her you have to root for him. There's even an elk who thinks he's Elvis Presley! The description of the scenery along the Salmon River and the river rafting is wonderfully written. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Yorke's work.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great storytelling, deep, surprising novel., July 29, 2005

By 

BB - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club (Paperback)

A terrific story about the lengths people will go to for fame. When a struggling writer sells out her best friends to write a bestseller, four women's lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. Alice the writer gets more fame than she deserves and has to suffer the fury of her friends. Irene loses her husband. Mary's viriginity is the topic of radio shows. And Jina's son realizes his mother has lied to him all these years about what really happened to his father who died years ago on the Salmon River. All these changes lead the women on a river rafting adventure, where even more secrets unfold.
Indepth characterizations and great storytelling make this a great summer read!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As emotionally satisfying as Class IV rapids in the most gorgeous locale., August 29, 2005

By 

Kitty Murphy (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club (Paperback)

With the deft touch of a modern day Socrates, and the gentle understanding of your oldest friend, Ms. Yorke asks us to consider whether we can be satisfied with an unexamined life. She introduces us to a wonderfully varied set of women friends, their endearing mates and their children, at a time when one of the friends appears to have betrayed all of them by revealing their pasts in a bestselling novel. Yet as each character reflects on the mistakes he or she has made and begins to face fears that have grown larger over time, each character learns to accept his or herself, forgive, and strive to attain and retain what's really important. The interactions between the adults and the boys are particularly wonderful, reflecting the hope, fear, love, pride, self-restraint, and occasional doubt we can't help but feel as we try to raise and release the young men who are so much a part of our souls.

The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club is also an exciting pageturner, leaving you wondering until very near the end if the misguided and guilt-ridden religious zealot will actually strike out at the infidels he likes.

In a red state/blue state nation, it's delightful to find an author of Ms. Yorke's calibre, who not only sees shades of gray, but can make a cogent argument for appreciating friends with different interests, religions, and political beliefs. She advocates a big tent, and knows where to draw the line.

I'd encourage men and women alike to buy this book and allow themselves the time to read it. You'll feel as if you've entered another world. Your new best friends are more than a little hard to leave behind. Just don't be surprised if they whisper a few suggestions in your ear, before you close the book.