Then We Came to the End: A Novel by Joshua Ferris  (190)
$11.19
|
The Raw Shark Texts: A Novel by Steven Hall (61)
$11.20
|
The Savage Detectives: A Novel by Roberto Bolano (40)
$10.20
|
Tree of Smoke: A Novel by Denis Johnson  (77)
$17.82
|
Falling Man: A Novel by Don DeLillo (76)
$17.16
|
This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but millions of other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in.
|
|||||||||
Customers Who Bought Items Like This Also Bought
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Why She Left Us revolves around an intriguing mystery: a Japanese American woman's abandonment of her illegitimate child during World War II. Rahna Reiko Rizzuto reveals the reason for her act--and its effect on four generations of her family--in a series of alternating narratives. A son, daughter, mother, and brother all chime in, and the author's sophisticated interweaving of their tales is what gives this debut novel much of its power.
Why She Left Us revolves around an intriguing mystery: a Japanese American woman's abandonment of her illegitimate child during World War II. Rahna Reiko Rizzuto reveals the reason for her act--and its effect on four generations of her family--in a series of alternating narratives. A son, daughter, mother, and brother all chime in, and the author's sophisticated interweaving of their tales is what gives this debut novel much of its power.
Rizzuto's book includes its share of violent and disturbing incidents. A daughter helps her mother give birth on the floor of a shack; a son accompanies his senile grandfather to the toilet; a brother delivers a swift kick to his pregnant sister's belly. Yet Why She Left Us never relies on mere sensationalism. For one thing, the author's prose is strong and vivid, and she's particularly good at evoking the passage of time: "My life doesn't come to me in any order," notes one character. "Moments flip-flop, overlap--sometimes they come only in splinters." This isn't, it should be said, a big-canvas portrait of wartime life. But Rizzuto has produced a minute and successful investigation of the moments that define what a family is.
That leaves the initial mystery. To her credit, Rizzuto doesn't come up with a pat solution: instead, she offers up a collage of perceptions, which fuse into a kind of answer as the story progresses. In other words, this is the latest addition to a growing canon of diplomatic, Rashomon-like novels. Why She Left Us is a true study in perspectives--and a kaleidoscopic lesson about the nature of memory and forgiveness. --Rucker Alex
From Library Journal
A very young unmarried Emi Okada gives birth twice during World War II. Her son, whom she gives away, is retrieved by Kaori, Emi's mother. Emi's daughter, Mariko (who is raised by Emi and, when Emi marries, George Hamada), barely remembers her brother, who is left behind yet again when Emi and George depart to make a life of their own. In the midst of this genealogical horror, this fractured family, which includes Kaori's brutal husband, Mistuo, her most obedient son, Jack, and her raging son, Will, is swept up in one of the most disgraceful chapters in American history when they are relocated to the Santa Anita (CA) racetrack, which has been converted into an internment camp for Japanese American citizens. The conspiracies of silence choking this family wreak havoc nearly beyond measure. Elements of tragedyAan abortion, a prison term, a war casualtyAgrab the reader. One keeps hoping that this powerful indictment of intentioned deceit, dictated by tradition and twisted loyalties, will somehow reveal just a glimmer of redemption at the end. A remarkable first novel; highly recommended.ABeth E. Andersen, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
See all Editorial Reviews
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed
Remainder by Tom Mccarthy (28)
$11.16
|
A Suitable Boy : A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Vikram Seth  (200)
|