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A light, humorous, amiably peopled, and tender novel about found families, the people who shape our lives, and the complexities of non-traditional family ties.
Yuko has had four different surnames and been brought up in several families. The parental figures in her life, despite not being related by blood, have always cared deeply for her. Through it all, pragmatic and resilient Yuko has navigated life’s changes and its occasional conflicts without bitterness, always managing to find a kind of equilibrium.
As an adult, Yuko falls in love with Hayase, a talented pianist she’s known since her school years. Now a married woman, she embarks on a journey to reconnect with the various parental figures from her past to seek their blessing for her marriage. Along the way, she revisits her former life and the people in it and gains a deeper understanding of what truly defines a family.
★ “Sure to be popular with fans of the healing fiction genre, Seo’s charming Japanese cozy reads like Father of the Bride if it were written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It will delight a wide variety of readers with its humor and kindness.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Yuko's upbringing in Japan is shaped by two mothers and three fathers, most of whom die, move away, or leave. Fascinatingly, Seo's debut novel in the United States—after 25 years of literary success in Japan—presents these experiences not as traumatic but as sources of strength... In this unusual reading experience, Yuko's worldview emphasizes that having someone, even just one person, care and cook for you is enough.”—Booklist
“A wonderful, tender, sweet and uplifting story of a young girl’s joyful journey through a troubled life to find fulfillment and satisfaction. She is a model of persistence in the face of adversity, of optimism through difficulty.”—Reading the West