3.75 stars

Overall, I really enjoyed "The Woman in the White Kimono". The two protagonists both had interesting plots, but I definitely enjoyed Naoko's story more and was really interested in how everything worked out for her.

I think the ending was a little too much, I, personally, could have done without the epilogue and think the novel would have ended on a stronger note without it.

I am lucky to read this wonderful book, I felt every step that the writer done her research and knew every place she was talking about.
I am bias as I love Asian Historic fiction but also the writer made it more enjoyable as her style of writing was easy and full of details that made me google the places and the events (It shocked me to find all these fascinating things that I didn't know).
The girl with red shoes song summed up the story as I listened to the children rhyme with English translation, what sad story and what wonderful country I need to visit .

I am in charge of the senior library and work with a group of Reading Ambassadors from 16-18 to ensure that our boarding school library is modernised and meets the need of both our senior students and staff. It has been great to have the chance to talk about these books with our seniors and discuss what they want and need on their shelves. I was drawn to his book because I thought it would be something different from the usual school library fare and draw the students in with a tempting storyline and lots to discuss.
This book was a really enjoyable read with strong characters and a real sense of time and place. I enjoyed the ways that it maintained a cracking pace that kept me turning its pages and ensured that I had much to discuss with them after finishing. It was not only a lively and enjoyable novel but had lots of contemporary themes for our book group to pick up and spend hours discussing too.
I think it's important to choose books that interest as well as challenge our students and I can see this book being very popular with students and staff alike; this will be an excellent purchase as it has everything that we look for in a great read - a tempting premise, fantastic characters and a plot that keeps you gripped until you close its final page.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. It explored a time in history that I never new about and I found it both shocking and emotional. Think this book will stay with me for a while. Look forward to reading more by this author.

I really enjoyed Ana Johns debut novel, particularly those portions set in the 1950s. My heart broke for Naoko and both the choices made for her and those she had to make. I will definitely be watching for Ms. Johns next book.

This is a dual timeline tale set in Japan 1957 to the present day.
It follows the shame placed upon a Japanese girl as she falls in love with a American solider and the decisions she makes when she finds herself pregnant.
Fast forward to the present day and Tori the Daughter of a American Soldier, who is terminally ill receives a letter that will take her to Japan to uncover some earth shattering secrets that will completely make her look at her Father in a new light.
Such a moving but tragic tale with great insight in to Japanese culture, very emotional and the kind of story that stays with you long after you have put it down.
Well researched and a cleverly crafted a book I would highly recommend.

I love stories like this that weave between two worlds; 1950's Japan and present day USA.
It it very well written, a poignant tale of love, marriage and family.
Be prepared to shed some tears when you read it.
Would recommend to all lovers of historical fiction, in fact anyone who loves a believable story.

I really enjoyed this book, to the point where I was fighting sleep as I didn't want to put it down.

This was a wonderful read of a daughter discovering her father's past after his passing. The story is believable, enjoyable and heartbreaking all at once.

It follows a young couple falling in love in Japan, particularly focusing on the shame that is cast on the female and her family for loving an American and the consequences for such love.

I have added this to my "re-read" pile and may be reading it it again soon!

Wow!! The Woman in the White Kimono is a breathtaking poignant book that I was honoured to read. Thank. You Net Galley, Ana Johns and Legend Press for allowing me to read this beautiful book. To say that this is a love story between a Japanese girl and an American Sailor in 1957 does not do it justice. The story is told in flashbacks to 1957 and then to present day. Naoko lived such a sad and devastating life in 1957-58. As her story unfolds I wanted to step into the book and take care of her. What she went through was horrible and while it is fiction it was very much the true story of thousands of Japanese woman during that time. The book begins with Tori sitting at her father’s side as he slowly dies. He regales her with stories that she has always understood to be tall tales but after his death she find out there was a lot of truth to these stories. The book finds her traveling to Japan to find the truth. It had me quickly reading as I wanted to find the truth. The author has such a magical way of writing that you will feel you are there. The description paints the picture with a few words that will enable you to feel the rain or smell the flowers. I absolutely adored this book and it is one that I will read again. My hart hurt as the story progressed and it will leave you in tears. A story of a love lost bit of a love that never ended.

This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The story is full of love, heartache. tears....it will stick with you for a long time. Love of family, loss of family and lifelong dreams..I really don't have the words to adequately describe the beauty of this Chinese/American tale. I admire the Asian culture and read quite a few historical fictions in that field...this one left me breathless. A must read!! I will be watching for Ana Johns in the future!

I went to Netgalley as soon as I saw the e-mail I was approved for this title (within an hour of it being sent), but it was already archived. :-( It would be great if there is a way for me to read and review it anyway.

This is a heartbreaking and incredible story. There is so much love and loss in this riveting read. I was totally caught up in this story and the facts it is based on. It is a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Riveting and harrowing. This book is so well written, giving insights into Japanese life and culture. I was interested in the Japanese language and explanations. The story of an upper class girl falling in love with an American Marine, their struggle to be together and the birth of their child, this is Interwoven with an American journalists trying to find out about her Fathers past life. Little known facts about the mixed race children born to Japanese women.

This book is different from those I normally read but I can’t recommend it highly enough. The storyline weaves between present day USA and 1950’s Japan and with each chapter the threads of the story are pulled a little closer together. It introduced me to an area of history which I was largely ignorant of, and which I now want to explore further. If you read this book I feel it will stay with you for a long time.

I love historical fiction written in deal timeline format. It's even better if there's another country involved, so it's richer. And I absolutely adored this book. It's set in present day America, post-war Japan 1957 and present day Japan.
It's beautifully written talking about many issues like arranged marriage, family traditions, loss in Post-war Japan. It's hopeful at times, and heartbreaking at others. It's very well written & poignant. It will definitely reach to your heart.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic historical fiction book with a dual timeline. The first timeline is set in Japan in 1957 and the second is set in America in the present day. The writing is great and I found it easy to settle into the flow of the story. If you enjoy historical fiction books, then you need to check this one out.

This is a beautifully written first novel by Ana Johns. It is set in present day America and post-war Japan 1957 and present day Japan.
It covers love,arranged marriage, pregnancy , family traditions, hope, heartbreak and loss in Post-war Japan. A very poignant book which brought tears to my eyes at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley for an A.r.c. Also to the author for writing such an excellent book about Japanese post-war history and the notes at the end of the book.

The woman in The White Kimono is not my usual 'go for it book'. O no. It's going more into historical fiction side that mostly wasn't my cup of tea.
Yet here I am giving this one five stars and having my emotions all over the place.
This story is told in two spans of time:
1. 1957 - a story of a young girl that fell for an American man and her family is against their marriage. This part of the story was devastating as it was from Naoko's perspective that just wanted to have her loved ones and be true to herself.
2. Present time - a woman learns something about her fathers past. Nothing is what it seemed. One thing makes her decide that it's time to discover the past of her father.
How are those two women connected? Will it be what everyone was expecting in the end?
Read this beautiful and cry worthy book to find out.

The Woman in the White Kimono is a heartwrenching novel, yet it does contain hope an persistance. I loved the writing style of the author and the book contains several nuggets of wisdom, such as “Worrying gives small things big shadows.”.

In general, it's a beautifully written book about a dark chapter of Japan's history.

The Woman in the White Kimono is a dual timeline story of a woman, Tori, whose father is dying in present day America, and a Japanese woman who wants to marry a gaijin post-WW2 Japan (1957).

There are some good lines in this novel—like, if you’re going to eat poison, you may as well clean your plate—credited to the grandmother of the Japanese woman, Naoko. That’s the love story portion of the book. The other storyline is about a daughter losing her father, a very personal plot for me.

Without giving too much away, after Tori’s father passes, she reads a letter with a shocking revelation she can no longer discuss with her dad. Luckily, she’s an investigative journalist so this is kind of her jam. She chases down a personal story across the world.

Meanwhile, in the Japan timeline, Naoko is a pregnant newlywed and her husband is away frequently. During a two-week solo, she tries to ignore what her grandmother taught her long ago—bad omens that seem to keep piling up in her life. It wouldn’t be an interesting novel if everything went smoothly now would it?

This novel had many moving quotes. Below are just a few that spoke to me.

“In life, the wise make their own heaven while the fool complains of hell, but I think both are inevitable, and both are temporary.”

“Worrying gives small things big shadows.”

“Sorrow and happiness do not pass. They burrow in deep and become our bones. We stand on their uneven legs, trying to keep balance when there is none. There is only love.”

This is a moving, remarkable story about the love between a parent and a child.