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The Translation of Love: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
An emotionally gripping portrait of postwar Japan, where a newly repatriated girl must help a classmate find her missing sister
Born and raised in Vancouver, thirteen-year-old Aya Shimamura is released from a Canadian internment camp only to be repatriated to Japan with her father, who was faced with an unsettling choice: move east of the Rocky Mountains or go back to Japan. With no hope of restitution and grieving the loss of Aya’s mother during internment, her father feels there’s nothing left for them in Canada and signs a form that enables the government to deport him.
But life in Tokyo is not much better. Aya’s father struggles to find work, compromising his morals and toiling long hours. Aya, meanwhile, is something of a pariah at her school, bullied for being foreign and paralyzed when asked to communicate in Japanese. Aya’s alienation is eventually mitigated by one of her principal tormentors, a willful girl named Fumi Tanaka, whose older sister has mysteriously disappeared.
When a rumor surfaces that Douglas MacArthur, who is overseeing the Allied occupation of Japan, sometimes helps citizens in need, Fumi enlists Aya to compose a letter asking the general to find her beloved sister. The letter is delivered into the reluctant hands of Corporal Matt Matsumoto, a Japanese American serving with the Allied forces, whose endless job is translating the thousands of letters MacArthur receives each week. Matt feels an affinity toward Fumi but is largely powerless, and the girls decide to take matters into their own hands, venturing into the dark and dangerous world of Tokyo’s red-light district.
Told through rich, interlocking storylines, The Translation of Love mines a turbulent period to show how war irrevocably shapes the lives of the conquered—and yet the novel also allows for a poignant spark of resilience, friendship, and love that translates across cultures and borders to stunning effect.
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“Nancy Wu delivers this story of friendship and love in a melodic voice…As Wu’s steady performance drives the story to its conclusion, she differentiates characters with subtle shifts in tone. Overall, Wu’s voice acts as a beacon that directs listeners through the tangle of Japanese customs and code of honor.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“Kutsukake…conjures the voices of this agonized time with graceful simplicity…The story is satisfying but secondary to the mood: the quiet ache of loss.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Teaches little known history, pulls at the heart strings, questions authority, and—of course—tells a spellbinding, magnificent story…[The Translation of Love] presents resonating testimony to humanity’s resilience.”
— Christian Science Monitor -
”[A] heady blend of detailed historical research and compelling storytelling.”
— Japan Times -
“Kutsukake’s exploration of the complex identities of Japanese-Americans, both at home and abroad, is compelling…Many scenes pack an emotional punch and are enhanced by the author’s clarity and restraint.”
— Globe and Mail (Toronto) -
“A commanding story about identity, redemption, and healing that’s not to be missed.”
— Bustle -
“Kutsukake is an accomplished writer, adroitly handling the dark effects of discrimination, hunger, poverty, and disease after the war…an engaging and compelling read.”
— Asian Review of Books -
“A vivid and memorable account of ordinary people struggling to recover from the devastations of war.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“Poignant…A fresh perspective on life in postwar Japan.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Brings American-occupied postwar Tokyo to life…Emotionally rich without turning saccharine, twisting without losing its grounding in reality, Kutsukake’s novel is classic historical fiction at its best.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Inspired by the avalanche of letters sent to General Douglas MacArthur by the people of Japan, Kutsukake crafts a vivid and illuminating portrait of life during the postwar Occupation.”
— BookPage -
“Consistently engaging…A memorable story of hope and loneliness with a cathartic ending.”
— Publishers Weekly
Awards
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A BookPage Top Pick for April 2016
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A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
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A School Library Journal Top Pick for Diverse Debuts and Adult Books for Teens
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A Historical Novels Review Editors’ Choice
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About Lynne Kutsukake
Lynne Kutsukake, a third-generation Japanese Canadian, worked for many years as a librarian at the University of Toronto, specializing in Japanese materials. Her short fiction has appeared in the Dalhousie Review, Grain, the Windsor Review, Ricepaper, and Prairie Fire. The Translation of Love is her first novel.
About Nancy Wu
Nancy Wu has narrated audiobooks since 2004, winning three AudioFile Earphones Awards. A New York theater, television, and film actor, she has recorded in studios all over the world—from Italy to Switzerland to Thailand. Her credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Hope & Faith, All My Children, Made for Each Other, and the Oscar-nominated film Frozen River.