Publisher: Olympia Publishers

Publication Date: January 30, 2025

Length: 264 pages

In post-WWII Japan, Mick Mitchell, a New Zealand serviceman, helps with cleanup efforts in a small village outside Hiroshima. While driving villagers to Hiroshima, he meets and is captivated by a young Japanese girl, Emiko. She is the daughter of a wealthy Japanese landowner. Ignoring cultural differences, they fall in love. They dream of a more tolerant and accepting world. It is far too soon for dreams of acceptance. Mick’s duties cause them to be separated. Lies and cultural differences keep these two lovers apart and lead to a lifetime of misunderstanding. Reconciliation of cultures and the untangling of lies takes time, resulting in a beautiful, heartwarming conclusion.

The author has a deep love for the Japanese culture. Her descriptions of the country and life post-WWII evidence respect and honor for Japan. Amid all the destruction and subsequent chaos, the author chronicles the beauty. After such decimation, how can a country begin to heal? Few authors have tackled post-war rebuilding, but Devine does. I never thought of how people rebuild their lives after losing everything to war. Foreign assistance was necessary to help villagers remove debris, restore order, and attend to those injured in the war. The character Mick views the people he is there to assist as stoic and uncomplaining. He wants to bring comfort and understand the customs of this ancient society. Devine has crafted a beautiful, compassionate, and deeply emotional story. The post-war reclamation of life and country is simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming.

What an excellent debut novel from an exceedingly talented writer!

Thank you Trish Devine for the advanced copy of your book, I look forward to reading your next one as well.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻/5