This is a fictionalized account of Ruri Pilgrim’s family from the 1870’s to the 1950’s. Japan in the 19th century for the middle classes was a formal and secure society. They had walled compounds with attentive servants, followed traditions like arranged marriage that stretched back into the distant past.

The early 20th century found her mother living in Japanese occupied Manchuria in China and married to an engineer. She recounts various her experience with the native Chinese population, and after the start of the Second World War the Russians arrived. At the end of the War the Japanese families had to walk hundreds of miles to the coast to catch boats back to Japan.

The country they returned to had been shattered by war. Not only from the two atomic bombs, but the country was overrun with Americans, but the formal and rigid society that had defined them was no more. In spite of all this her mother survived, and raised her children.
This is a relatively easy read, and through the lives of a family brings to life part of Japan’s history and culture. The only problem was it wasn’t very exciting. There are numerous family members, neighbours and other characters in here, and it wasn’t always easy to work out who was who in the narrative. Definitely a book for the dedicated fan of all things Japanese. ( )

Mielenkiintoinen tarina japanilaisen suvun vaiheista 1900-luvun aikana. Sattumalta luin juuri ennen tätä kirjaa toisen samaan aikakauteen sijoittuvan kirjan Japanin ensimmäisestä naislääkäristä. Täydensivät toisiaan! ( )

This is the story of three generations of Japanese women that takes us from the 1870s to post-World War II. Unfortunately, the writing is shallow and the characters remain two-dimensional. Family members beyond the main characters are brought in without much back-story and I was often confused as to who was who. This book was, all in all, disappointing. ( )

A slightly mawkish Japanese family saga - didn't really live up to its promise ( )