Advanced Reader copy - Enjoyed this book, really opened my eyes and made me seek out other similar books to read.

Yuko Tsushima is one of my favourite Japanese novelists and this is one her best books. Just perfect.

A translucent depiction of loneliness and single motherhood that is at once poetic and starkly honest.

We are reading a year of the woman narrator whose name we do not know. This young woman lives alone with her three-year-old daughter in Tokyo. She has just left her husband and goes to search for a house to live with her daughter. This short book tells the story of what it’s like to be a lonely mother in Tokyo. Tsushima was also a single mother, and this is one of the reasons why the book is so impressive.

The book may not be as attractive to everyone as the subject matter, but Tsushima’s effortless and delicate narrative, her depictions of the spaces will hunt you long after you have read the book. You will read how patriarchal Japan is, and also you will see how hard it is to raise a child alone.

This novel is as much about a building as about it's characters. A young mother going through a divorce from her husband rents an apartment on the top floor of a commercial building. Because of its brightness both she and her 3 year old daughter find it lifts their spirits and gives them a feeling of security. As the mother's situation changes so does her relationship with her daughter and the building. A story of coming to terms with oneself and those you love. A gently paced but nonetheless compelling read.

This was a compelling read about a single mother's life over the span of a year, where she has to grapple with divorce, work, and above all, a new home, which the author describes beautifully, together with everything else.

Mothering in Japan

"Looking down at the stagnant green water, I could picture as in a dream or a film that spot as it had appeared back then, some fifteen years earlier: a spot clad in flowers and fruit trees, where the sunshine seemed to have congealed. It was bright and tranquil, disquietingly so. No one must ever know about this place that made me yearn to dissolve until I became a particle of light myself. The way that light cohered in one place was unearthly. I gazed at its stillness without once ever going through the gate."

By twelve short vignettes, Japanese writer Yuko Tsushima (1947-2016) conveys a year in the life of the nameless narrator, a young woman living in Tokyo after she has been abandoned by her husband and tries to build a new life with her daughter of three. The vista offered upon a life set mainly within the walls of the apartment the woman moves into after the break-up is unvarnished and ruthless – the sudden and unsolicited adjustment to single parenthood isn’t a bed of roses.

Tsushima poignantly depicts the teetering process of finding oneself again after the disruptiveness of a separation – lately I saw this process compared to a vanishing of the sunlight, and finding oneself overnight living in the dusk, no longer able to perceive oneself clearly. Vacillating between resentment for her spouse Fujino not taking his responsibilities as a father and her propensity to ban the half-hearty father from his daughter’s life, the young woman has to discover herself again and to find herself a new identity. Reviving her own voice and freedom while struggling to organise her new life, single motherhood consumes her. Evoking an emotional landscape of exhaustion, despair, anger and remorse, Tsushima paints how she tries and fails to cope with social isolation, loneliness and the incessant neediness of a young child – candidly showing the degeneration of the apartment, her drinking excessively, oversleeping for work, her neglecting and abusing the child.

However, the more of those gloomy, cramped apartments I looked at, the further the figure of my husband receded from sight, and while the rooms were invariably dark, I began to sense a gleam in their darkness like that of an animal’s eyes.

As the title clarifies, Tsushima plays with images and language evocating and symbolizing space, light and dark, weaving them ingenuously into the drifting moods of the protagonist. The woman’s life partially withdraws to the interior, an inwardness echoed by the many scenes of the novel set in the apartment. While the year starts off with the almost blinding light in which the apartment is flooded, apparently evocating a new hopeful as well as frightening start, this gradually dims over the year, when the woman sinks more and more into depression, is haunted by fear for falling apart and of the dark, by memories, erotic dreams and ghostly nightmares which like dreamscapes continue when she is awake. Luminosity however returns and the woman’s troublesome journey to autonomy and self-containment seems to bring about a fragile balance of lightness and darkness imbued with more tenderly playful and intimate moments and joys of motherhood.

Each vignette comes under a delicate poetic title which a few times starkly contrasts with the glum rawness of the slice of life depicted, almost like a poem in its own right (‘A dream of birds’, ‘The magic words’), just like the light that floods the apartment and pulses in various forms in the life of the characters emphasizes the darkness and gives it a silver lining.

Like the two short stories I have read by her (Of Dogs and Walls) just before reading Territory of Light, this novel draws on not even thinly veiled autobiographical elements; symbols and metaphors created out of natural elements (light, water), themes and motifs (abandonment, death, single motherhood), narrative components (memories, dreamscapes) seem recurrent components as well. Like in the story The Watery Realm water is an ominous, menacing and at the same time solacing element, reminiscing the death of Tsushima’s father, the writer Osamu Dazai, who drowned himself together with his lover when Yuko Tsushima was one year old – and she refers to him when she writes ’At the time, I had not yet taken in the reality of my father’s death, I understood that I would never see him again in this world, but because there was a room at home that was just as it had been when it was his. I had entered the world at more or less the same time as my father departed it’ .

Fathers - and maybe men in general – Tsushima seems to imply, are essentially characterized or defined by their absence and the void that they leave behind – and their untrustworthiness. Children, mothers, grandmothers live in an intimate, but fraught feminine world in which interpersonal warmth is mingled with cruelty, communication is almost impossible and autonomy perpetually threatened by the outside world and by family.

Tsushima’s prose is visually stunning, elegant, atmospheric, raw and subtle at once. Although a slender novel, it took me oddly long to read it. As a collection of fragmentary episodes (the twelve chapters were originally published in monthly instalments in a literary journal), the narrative lacked flow; there is some repetitiveness in the describing of the banalities of everyday domestic life. A peculiar cruelty in the mother’s treatment of her toddler alienated and disconcerted me in a way which reminded me of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring – also the straightforward description of self-destructive or immature conduct one takes heed to avoid as a single mother (like the reversal of roles in which the toddler takes care of the mother during sickness) was painful to read.

Motherhood might be transformative, it doesn’t turn women into saints – we remain all the same flawed and fallible human beings.

Territory of Light is a honest and moving story about a single mother struggling to build a life in Tokyo. It doesn't pull its punches and it's often difficult to read, but ultimately a powerful and poignant read for mothers everywhere, single or not. It never tries to shame the narrator for her flaws, instead focusing on delivering a fiercely tender novel that will deeply connect with all women.

The story is quite simple and nothing out of the ordinary or especially exciting happens; each chapter catalogues a vignette in the life of a family over the course of a year. The prose was atmospheric nonetheless and definitely my cup of tea, whilst the relationship between mother and daughter was depicted realistically, All in all, a simple but moving work of fiction.

This short novel takes place in Tokyo and is about a woman and her three year old daughter who has recently separated from her husband. She rents a flat, in an overcrowded building where everyone can hear everything. It's a very quick read, but didn't really grip me

I liked this book, but in a way was so similar to some of my experience as an expat, that I didn't enjoyed as much as I could, because it was raw and too near some very bad memories of mine that even if it was pretty short, I couldn't read it in one setting. This was also ok because I read that it was originally published in a monthly magazine, but this didn't help the disconnection I felt between the chapters. A good book for the wrong person.

Questo libro mi é piaciuto, ma siccome era in qualche modo troppo simile ad alcune delle mie esperienze da expat, non mi é piaciuto tanto quanto avrebbe potuto, perché era troppo vicino ad alcuni dei miei peggiori ricordi.
Anche se piuttosto corto, per le ragioni precedentemente espresse, non sono riuscita nemmeno a leggerlo tutto di seguito, peró questo era anche il modo originale, in quanto ho letto che era uscito su una rivista mensile, il che spiega peró come mai i capitoli sembrano comunque tutti estremamente slegati tra di loro.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

to cope with a small child, as well as having to deal with other people’s negative perceptions of what a single mother is. There are a lot of social conventions told throughout the story, but even though the story is old, it still resonates today.

She accepts the inevitable even though she has not been given a choice about being alone. The story feels more like she is discovering her freedom for the first time. As she finds herself a new apartment, the first place she has been able to call her own. She is not shattered by her new circumstances, even if she didn’t want this to be her life. You can see the relief she feels in being able to to make her own decisions. On the face of it, she is happier without her husband, who is portrayed as selfish and childish even though she has given him everything he wants.

There is a sadness to this story, that reflects her loneliness. She only seemed to have friends through her marriage, rather than for herself, so she has no one to turn to when things are difficult and when she needs someone to help her. She hides her singleness from the people at her daughter’s daycare. But also doesn’t seem to realise that her drinking is burgeoning on alcoholism. The saddest thing is that she doesn’t have a voice to tell anyone how she feels or even knows how to express herself if there was anyone listening.

She is overwhelmed, by circumstances that are out of her control but also hinders herself, by some of the choices she makes. This is reflected in her attitudes to her child as she swings between intense love and loathing for her daughter. Her daughter is too young to understand what her mother is going through, but is also affected by every decision her parents make. The daughter seems like quite a nightmare at times, but then so does her mother. Which makes the narrative really compelling.

This is a beautifully written book, that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to people. I really enjoyed how time jumps forward, but also flows backwards as the narrator recounts the past that was missed when moving to a new section. I also really enjoyed the way that colour is used in this book. As the colours interact amidst the vignettes, but also reflect the mood of the main character, from hopeful and bright reds to sparkling silvers to more reflective blues and greys.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books, and the author Yuko Tsushima.
Nothing particularly thrilling happens in this book, it is rather a poetic and lyrical description of a young woman's life as she navigates the first year of separation from her husband, and managing the demands of her fractious young daughter.
However, it was beautifully written and a real pleasure to read. Tsushima has a particularly vivid and involving way of describing ordinary things and mundane activities, painting them in an involving and ethereal light.
An interesting narrative, and an easy read. Recommended.

Set in Tokyo this book charts the twelve months in a woman life after her marriage breaks down.
We feel the emotion and pure frustration at her trying to do her best to look after a strong willed toddler whilst holding down a job and dealing with her ex partner who won't financially help out. Exhausted she seeks solace in alcohol and her situation seems to isolate her further.
As a reader I felt kept at arms length and in the dark about many things as we don't know the names of the lady or her toddler and have no descriptions and we don't get to find why her Husband can't or won't pay. Light is a theme that runs through the book and it was explored in many ways descriptively and symbolic of emotion & situation. The writing is beautifully rich and we also get a glimpse of the Japanese custom and beliefs at the time as everyone casts opinion.
If you are wanting a fast paced thriller and plot this is not that kind of book but what it is is a reflection upon humanity told through actions, tones, images and words.
A book I would recommend.
My thanks go to the publishers and Netgalley in providing me with this arc in return for a honest review.

This was a lovely read, understated and delicately written. It is made up of various episodes in the post separation life of a mum and her young daughter. We catch glimpses of their daily ups and downs, all beautifully interwoven with moments of light and darkness.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ecopy of this book in exchange for a fair and impartial review.

This is a very strange book to review because nothing much ever happens and yet every page is necessary. It is the story of a mother splitting from her husband and trying to make a new life for herself and her small daughter. The daughter is a pain as only a toddler can be and the mother (who isn't named) is struggling as she tries to survive being newly single. The writing is beautiful, has a poetic quality, and the Japanese setting gives the whole thing a certain dignity. It was originally written in the late seventies but the calendar is timeless.

I enjoyed the book but I did struggle with it in parts where there was little happening. It is a book for a certain mood and when the right mood struck I loved it.

Recommended if you want a look at the inner psyche of a woman struggling but doing her best.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Based on the author’s own experience, this short novel tells of the experiences of a separated mother trying to adjust to life on her own with her 3 year old daughter. It’s an uphill struggle some days and we share in her frustration. The loneliness of life as a single mother is expertly portrayed, as each chapter describes a different episode in their daily life. It’s a slow-paced, often dreamy novel (with far too many actual dream sequences) and not much happens. Although firmly rooted in Japan it has a universal application and there won’t be many parents who won’t empathise with the unnamed mother. Although I enjoyed it up to a point, ultimately it all felt somewhat inconsequential and unresolved, and the fragmented narrative makes it hard to become fully immersed in what is, admittedly, a moving story of isolation, yet one in which I was never fully engaged.

Our unnamed heroine/narrator (we know only that her husband was called Furino and thus she is Mrs. Fujino) has recently separated from her husband. There is a two-year old daughter. It seems he has another relationship but, despite this, still seems quite controlling.

She had naturally started to look for a new flat but he had insisted on accompanying her so every lunch hour the couple went off to find a flat for her and their daughter. They found that the flats were generally too expensive or not suitable but they continued. Eventually, he had other commitments and could not accompany her and that is when she found the perfect flat. The entire building had been bought by a successful businesswoman, Mrs Fujino (no relation) and she was unsure of its sales potential so the flats were relatively cheap. Our narrator rented one on the top floor which was ideal. It was relatively spacious, had access to the roof, with views over Tokyo, and every room had an abundance of light, hence the title of the book.

Her husband keeps pestering her, though she really does not want to see him again. She has a job as a librarian and leaves her daughter with her mother, who lives nearby. Much of the novel tells of how she struggles, not very well, with the problems of being on her own, bringing up her at times difficult daughter, fending off her husband, dealing with the pressures put on her by others to remain with him and coping wit the problems in her flat.

She wishes that she were still married, as she had got used to it but, at the same time, does not want to be married to Mr. Fujino. He is still controlling and bullying. For example, on one occasion, she feels the need to get out of the flat. Her daughter is fast asleep so she slips out and bumps into an acquaintance. They go for a drink. When she returns, her husband is waiting outside the flat and not only berates her but hits her. She does retaliate. He later tells everyone that she is a drunk and a terrible mother.

Her daughter frequently cries at night and this naturally disturbs our narrator’s sleep, which she badly needs. We assume that the daughter is not surprisingly upset by the breakup of her parents’ marriage. Sunday is our narrator’s only day off and she likes to sleep in but her daughter will not allow this. She occasionally drinks too much whisky in an attempt to stop myself being woken.

She receives various phone calls from acquaintances of her husband, encouraging her to stay in the marriage, telling her how difficult it is for a woman on her own and how she will never find anyone else. She is polite but ignores them.

She has now realised that she must be not only a mother to her daughter but a father as well, which include such things as carrying her when she is tired. She also finds this difficult. Yet, she is convinced that her husband is not interested in having custody of the child or even seeing her much, but is merely trying to control her. He is, after all, living with another woman.

She also feels that she has become something of a social leper. She tries to organise a birthday celebration, inviting former joint acquaintances round but all make excuses for not coming.

There are problems with the flat. There is a leak that seems to be coming from her flat but she cannot see, which is affecting the people below. This takes some time and effort to resolve. It also seems that her daughter throws things out of the flat which land on the roof of the dilapidated house of an elderly couple. They are naturally annoyed with this and get the landlady to put up window coverings.

This is not a happy story. Basically, it is simply the story of a woman struggling to cope. She finds it difficult being a single mother; difficult dealing with a troublesome child; difficult making friends; difficult defending her position as a woman without a husband; difficult dealing with her husband; difficult in being responsible for a flat; difficult dealing with life. She turns to drink, has casual sex and, above all, seeks solace in sleep, when her daughter lets her. Her best time seems to be when her daughter is staying with a friend. Initially, the light of the title seems to be a help but she loses that.

The novel is, at least in part, autobiographical. Our heroine has a mother (of whom we hear but never meet) but no father is mentioned. Tsushima’s father killed himself when she was only one. She is often ambivalent – as regards her husband, feeling that she wants a husband but not wanting anything to do with Mr. Fujino and as regards her daughter, loving her but often getting exasperated with her. Even with sex, the casual sex offers no satisfaction. There is no happy ending.

There are incidents but very little plot. There are few characters and even the young mother at the centre of the narrative remains relatively opaque. There are odd illuminated moments, but it’s quite a challenging read in places. And yet this is an atmospheric and haunting novel, unusual, insightful and ultimately very much worth the effort.

An intensely moving journey following one woman starting a new life after a divorce from her husband. The story continues as she faces a dark and lonely path to a new life. In Japan divorce is frowned upon, so her journey is very stark void of any comforts.