I won this book on a GoodReads giveaway.

This story illustrates the power of love but not in a traditional manner. There isn’t a vast romantic interlude here. In fact, you will learn about the tragic side of love – lost and betrayed.

In Japan when a man wishes to divorce his wife quietly, he can hire an investigator to follow her and tempt her into straying from her marriage. After the wife strays the husband can negotiate a settlement favorable to him. Sumiko Sato’s father did just that. But this story twists and turns and is far from simple. Ultimately, there is tragedy and no one will talk to Sumiko about this. We follow her as she uncovers the story of her mother’s life.

Initially the story seemed too mired in detail but suddenly things fell into place and this became a consuming tale. The characters are fascinating and looking into the practices of another culture is very informative. The moral dilemma we find is whether forgiveness can be achieved when you love someone “too much”.

This is a masterful story that will resonate with you for a long time.

My Rating: 🌻🌻🌻🌻

Additional Thoughts: This book is shocking. You can’t imagine falling in love only to find yourself betrayed by the one you trust. The victim in all the deceit is the child. It’s a shame the adults can’t explain the circumstances to her and instead force her to dig into the story herself for answers to her questions.