I love books that can be experienced at multiple levels, especially when they are well written. At its most basic, this is a mystery, where a group of young children are traumatised by an event that occurs in their early childhood, and are haunted by it and its repercussions throughout their lives. At another level, this is a story of how what it means to be a family and how these can form without biological bonds. At yet another level, this is a story of identity and what it means to be stuck between cultures, belonging and not really belonging to either. At a whole different level, this is a story of the terrible difficulties of living as a mixed race child and person in Japan, and the pervasive racism one has to endure. Finally, this is the tragic story of children of heroic Japanese women who persevered through terrible adversity, and often surviving rape, to raise beautiful and kind children born from the ravages and passions of American GIs post WW2.

Beyond the thematic complexity, I actually liked the form the author chose to tell her story. It is highly unconventional, foregoing many traditional mechanisms - linearity, distinction between dialogues and internal thoughts, clear delineation between characters' thought processes, etc. This writing forced me to pay special attention to ensure I got all the author wanted to say. It also served to show the whirlwind of emotions the protagonists found themselves in throughout their lives, and the unexpected turns their thoughts and recollections often took.

I highly recommend to anyone interested in the history of postwar Japan, and those curious about orphans and how they build their lives. It's also a moving narrative of a type of female heroism rarely spoken about.

My thank to Netgally and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early, in return for an honest review.

Was not a fan of the translation to be honest. Whilst I liked the story and the themes, it was difficult to read overall.

An interesting story, however I really disliked the writing style. It felt like outside commentary with no real insight into Mitch or Yonko. I desperately wanted to know more about these two, but instead we skirted around their thoughts and feelings. The narrative style made this a bit difficult to read, there were moments where nothing seemed to happened and other instances where arguably too much was happening at once. I really wish the writing was a little different, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately it was flat and tough to finish.