Reading this book felt like wrapping myself in a warm blanket. The writing pulled me in each time I sat down with it. The story of two siblings clinging to each other despite their family's demands is endearing and sometimes heartbreaking.

I was very surprised by the ending. The main character's decisions didn't line up with what I'd come to know of her.

This is a powerful and compelling book. Nori is a fascinating protagonist from her childhood days on. There's much emotional turmoil in the book with various types of moderate abuse and neglect, poignant friendships, and both wonderful and tragic turns of events. Not literary but written to sweep you up into a story that has familiar notes but is often original and surprising.

I really enjoyed this book, confessing that I know very little about the culture of aristocrats in Japan. The character development of Nori and Akiri was well portrayed. This is a poignant story about belonging and also freedom from the past.

Astounding!

The last words a mother says to her young daughter before abandoning her were,
"“Promise me. Promise me that you will obey in all things. Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist. Do not think if thinking will lead you somewhere you ought not to be. Only smile and do as you are told. Only your life is more important than your obedience. Only the air you breathe. Promise me this.”"
Kyoto 1948 and a young girl of mixed race is left on the doorstep of her grandparent's estate. We trace her story from when she's confined to the estate's attic, subjected to chemical sponge downs to alter the color of her skin and constantly reminded of how worthless she is. Eight-year-old Noriko “Nori” Kamiza wasn't quite left on the hillside with wolves but it is a near thing metaphorically speaking.
I was completely struck down by the underlying poignancy of Noriko's physical treatment along with the emotional abuse she was subjected to. Attitudes and expectations in post war Japan in the upper echelons of the aristocracy, a strictly tiered society, are portrayed at a time when saving face is everything.
This is a tragedy with immense moments of change but tragedy is a constant right to the end. In my mind the story sits within the milieu of a Shakespearean tragedy maybe with a dash of Flowers in the Attic. Fifty Words had me glued even as there were moments when I became completely unstuck.
Music plays a part and like a musical composition the story's crescendo rises to a glorious triumphant moment and then crashes onto shores of a harsh yet nuanced reality. I was left wondering whether Nori will perpetuate tragedies or be able to rise beyond them. More questions than resolutions. Did I want that? Possibly I wanted a fairytale ending. But this is no fairytale, it's a tragedy. Nori balances between strength and weakness, between choosing and not. As she says, "I have always deserved to die. But I refused."
I wondered about Japanese forms of Tragedy. It seems that Japanese literary traditions do not align with Western traditions of Tragedies.
However, one scholar, C. Andrew Gerstle in "The Concept of Tragedy in Japanese Drama" Japan Review No. 1 (1990), pp. 49-72) refers to particular areas of drama such as "the 'Women' plays of Noh and the third-act pieces of Bunraku—[that] focus on heroes who though caught in a difficult situation consciously choose their paths, which lead often to the extreme edges of human suffering."
Nori experiences that "extreme edge" and although she doesn't consciously choose her path, her life experience has trapped her well and truly as much as she tries to escape. A place she constantly treads and from which escape seems impossible. This forms the backbone of this startling and moving novel.

A Penguin Dutton ARC via NetGalley
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

[3,5/5 stars]

"You will see what you will do to protect the things you love. You will be horrified by what you'll do. And you will do it anyway."

FIFTY WORDS FOR RAIN by Asha Lemmie is a coming-of-age story about Noriko "Nori" Kamiza, the illegitimate child of a Japanese aristocrat and her African American lover. When her mother abandons Nori with her traditional grandparents, her heart-wrenching life begins.

From the first page, I was able to identify many Japanese cultural signs such as obedience, silence and submission. Throughout the story, Nori evolves from victim to survivor - being a lonely and curious girl who was treated harshly by her grandparents to a resilient woman who endured countless struggles, it was quite an emotional and painful ride! Nori suffered racism her whole life for being a mixed race (Japanese/Black) in that period of time (Post WWII Japan). Her journey was pure tragedy however I found it overly dramatic at times.

Lemmie examines race, family, friendship, love, sacrifice and familial/cultural expectations in a dynamic and deep way. After reading so many tragedies, I wondered what is the point that the author wished to convey. Nevertheless, through Nori's life, her kindness in the face of the cruelty gives us a touch of hope.

I did wish that the side characters were further fleshed out and some of them were caricaturized.
Also I wanted to know more about Seiko's life (Nori's mother) in the latter part of the novel. There were few elements of Japanese culture that I found inaccurate which may disappoint some readers. Lastly, the ending was quite abrupt. (I would love to discuss this ending, too perfect?)
Despite these critiques, I loved the author's writing style as I was easily absorbed in the story.

FIFTY WORDS FOR RAIN is an intense and moving debut novel that I overall enjoyed.

Fifty words for Rain is a solid yet imperfect historical fiction novel with what some may deem as uneven character development and unbalanced pacing. Yet despite these flaws, I was still intrigued and eager to know the fate of this half Japanese and half Black girl named Noriko living in Post World War II Japan, which I think speaks to Lemmie ability as a storyteller. Nori was an endearing protagonist and from those first few pages, I was vested in her fate, once her mother abandons Nori in front of her racist, elitist, and aristocratic Japanese grandparent's door as an illiterate yet intelligent child of the tender of age eight, that is when Nori's life changes forever. The story is written mostly from the perspective of Nori, however at various points in the novel when Lemmie wants to give the reader a more mature, biased or unbiased perspective of the events the narration changes from Akiko, Nori's prejudiced but dedicated house maid, to Kiyomi the hardened Geisha, who teaches Nori about the finer things in life comes to love her, to Akira, Nori's beloved older half brother who would do anything to protect her, to Alice, a young woman from England who becomes a sister figure to Nori, as well as other minor characters. I enjoyed these perspectives because they aided the reader in understanding events and situations that Nori was too young and naive to understand herself. How much one enjoys this novel will depend how one chooses to view the imperfections in this book should it really be seen as inconsistent character development or does one view those inconsistencies as a girl who grew up alone in the attic with a warped view of herself and those of the world around her. My perspective is that of the latter. Fifty Words for Rain is a nice debut for Ms. Lemmie, I rate it 3.95 stars, I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

I wanted to love this book but came away from it unsatisfied and disappointed. It seems that I am in the minority on this as most readers seem to love it. I have a lot of personal knowledge of Japan because I spent ten years growing up in the country and my mother is Japanese american. At first I thought my problems with the book were unique to me and my knowledge of the language and culture and I was being too harsh. Lemmie overall does a good job with the Japanese vocabulary that she uses but there are some errors that are jarring. A woman would never refer to an older brother as aniki, although the more often used Onee chan is realistic. Lemmie also has Akira call Nori imouto which would never be used in dialogue in that way. The other issues I had were with cultural differences; the Japanese aren't physically demonstrative at all (especially in that time period) so the scenes with hugging or hand-holding felt false. The plot while interesting is very soap-opera like, moving quickly and without a lot of detail and development. Most of the characters are not fleshed out and are sometimes caricature-like. I found parts of the ending interesting (about the car accident) and other parts altogether unsatisying (would Nori really stay in Japan after all she has endured at the hands of her family? would she give up the love she found in London?). Despite the weaknesses of the novel, Lemmie deserves praise for tackling a little-addressed subject and creating an interesting (though far fetched) story. Clearly many other readers absolutely loved her book, I am just not one of them.

Fifty Words of Rain is a phenomenal, beautifully written novel by Asha Lemmie. From the very first chapter, I was drawn into the main protagonist Noriko Kamiza. Noriko is born into a prominent family being the cousins of the emperor. This means that her family has power and respect in Japan. However, one thing that alienates Noriko from the powerful family is that she is a half-breed born as a result of an affair between her mother, Seiko and her African American lover.

For a chance at a better life, Seiko leaves Nori with her grandparents but they conceal her away fearful that her presence will stain the royal family and the honor and respect they are so desperately trying to uphold. Nori is only eight years old when she is taken in by her grandparents; forced to stay in the attic, never adventuring outside, and subjected to chemical baths to lighten her skin. The only thing Nori's mother advised her before she left was to "Promise me. Promise me that you will obey in all things. Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist. Do not think if thinking will lead you somewhere where you ought not to be. Only smile and do as you are told." This was Nori's mentality always obey and never question.

However, when Nori's half-brother Akira (who is the legitimate heir) comes to stay at the estate their bond strengthens them beyond measures. He adores his sister and will do everything in his power to see to it that Nori is never harmed or treated poorly. Their bond is despised by their grandparents who will go to extreme lengths to ensure that Akira is the one to continue to bring their family honor and respect and nowhere in that plan is a place for Nori. Nori with a newfound strength with the love of her brother, starts to realize that maybe there is a place for her after all and she must fight to survive.

I have never felt so emotional reading. There were times that I just felt so heartbroken for Nori. The pain and sorrow she felt was just radiating off the pages. Lemmie did an outstanding job with expressing the emotions and compassion through Nori's eyes.

This book expands several years as Nori grows up from being a eight year old to a young adult in her twenties. She goes through so many struggles and life altering moments from living in torment with her grandparents, being united with her brother, to being sold to a geisha house without her brother knowing, enduring overwhelming grief, being forced to leave Japan or die, traveling the world, falling in love, and finally being able to come into her own destiny.

I can't with this book, it's really sentimental and beautiful Thank you PRH international for sending me this fabulous ARC. THIS STORY STARTS WITH Noriko that she is abandoned by her mother in the house of her grandparents who she has never seen or met. From that moment on, I couldn't stop reading it, wondering how it would survive and why.
The book has excellent atmosphere and character development, I was so eager to get to know Japan, because of the excellent description that the author has, about the family union and the importance of maintaining the honor. I had many mixed feelings with this book, disgust, happiness, sadness and that ending left me in shock, I could not believe I had finished it.
He had many changes in the story that he didn't expect in this story, and 3so made it unique and spectacular.

This is a moving and heartbreaking debut. It follows Nori - from the day she is dropped off on her grandparents’ doorstep to decades later when she returns.

Nori is the daughter of her Japanese mother and Black American father. Her grandmother locks her in the attic and forces cruel punishments. When Nori meets her half brother, she discovers a new life and one worth fighting for. Her eyes are open to music and the outside world.

This book is a sweeping story. It was moving and gut wrenching. I completely connected to Nori and just wanted the best for her. It was so hard to see everything she went through during her life.

I would definitely recommend this one to someone looking for a family drama.

Fifty Words for Rain is a beautifully written novel that takes place in Japan 1948 after WWII when the Americans are still there. The story is of a young girl (8 years old) whose mother drops her off at the front gate of her grandparents house (who Nori has never met) and leaves her. From there the story takes us through discrimination, horrifying events, family hatred, unconditional love, and a wonderful change to Nori's life as she continues to grow. I could not put this novel down. I cried and smiled. Very good novel.

3.5 stars. I have very mixed reactions to Fifty Words for Rain, Asha Lemmie's debut novel. Others have done a good job of summarizing the story, which certainly is engrossing albeit with an ending that will disappoint many readers. What is more disappointing is the way in which Lemmie fails to fully draw many of her characters and the many times she misses the opportunity to describe the settings without providing either cultural background or a visceral sense of place. Much of the book is set in Osaka, for example, but readers who are not familiar with its historical importance will miss some of the references and relationships to the story's plot lines. It is also not always clear why setting the book when she does (post-WWII) is important to the story and there are few references to the enormous influence and changes that the War brought upon the country. Lemmie shows enormous potential and I look forward to reading her next novel.

From the Publisher:
Kyoto, Japan, 1948. “Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.”

Such is eight-year-old Noriko “Nori” Kamiza’s first lesson. She will not question why her mother abandoned her with only these final words. She will not fight her confinement to the attic of her grandparents’ imperial estate. And she will not resist the scalding chemical baths she receives daily to lighten her skin.

The child of a married Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover, Nori is an outsider from birth. Her grandparents take her in, only to conceal her, fearful of a stain on the royal pedigree that they are desperate to uphold in a changing Japan. Obedient to a fault, Nori accepts her solitary life, despite her natural intellect and curiosity. But when chance brings her older half-brother, Akira, to the estate that is his inheritance and destiny, Nori finds in him an unlikely ally with whom she forms a powerful bond—a bond their formidable grandparents cannot allow and that will irrevocably change the lives they were always meant to lead. Because now that Nori has glimpsed a world in which perhaps there is a place for her after all, she is ready to fight to be a part of it—a battle that just might cost her everything.

Spanning decades and continents, Fifty Words for Rain is a dazzling epic about the ties that bind, the ties that give you strength, and what it means to be free.

Now I have the worst book hangover in recent memory. I completely savored Fifty Words for Rain, I adored every word, but, like all good things, it eventually had to end, and this book is without a doubt a good thing. Wow, Asha Lemmie, you stunned me with your debut and the story of Nori Kamiza.

Nori’s life is tragic, heart wrenching, and lonely, but Nori is also full of hope and perseverance. She bends, but she doesn’t break, and there’s a lesson in that for all of us. In Nori’s own words: “There has never been a defeat that you did not rise from...”

For those of you unfamiliar with this amazing debut author, Asha started writing Fifty Words for Rain in high school, when she was just sixteen. She wrote the first three chapters and then put it away until after she finished college, taking her ten years to fully complete it. It’s clear from this book that Asha possesses an incredible talent, and I’m already excited to read what she’s working on next. .

A moving and sometimes difficult to read story about a biracial bastard child Nori, who is abandoned by her mother and sent to the estate of her wealthy grandparents to be raised. They lock her in the attic, treat her with disdain, hate, and physical and mental abuse. Her life is nothing until her half brother also comes to live in the estate as heir and they meet for the first time. Suddenly a profound change comes to her life with the love of her brother. He makes sure she has freedoms and teaches her the violin. Her life is more tolerable until behind his back she is sold by her grandmother to a brothel at 13.
The rest of the novel is an emotional rollercoaster, filled with little true happiness and much angst. A happy novel this isn’t.
I am extremely disappointed with the ending. For all the freedom, growth and enlightenment Nori has achieved, she is too easily sucked back into her grandmothers world and it doesn’t ring true.

Whoa! This story really packs an emotional punch! This is a debut and if this is an example of what Asha Lemme can write I eagerly await her next book. Nori, is an illegitimate child born into a noble Japanese family in the 1940’s. As a young child, she was basically held captive by her grandmother who did not want the family’s name tarnished. When her older half-brother, whose father is a black American GI, moves in with them, her grandmother is jealous of the affection shared between brother and sister. Nori is sent to live in a brothel. Brother and sister reunite and the story continues on, heartbreaking at times hopeful at times, but then be prepared for the ending.

Eight year old Nori is abandoned by her mother and placed with her grandparents. A child of mixed heritage, Nori is hidden in the attic and constantly belittled as a bastard. When her half brother Akira, moves to their grandparents, Nori is instantly fascinated and drawn to him. As soon as Akira is sent off to school, her grandparents sell her to a brothel.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The book switched between Nori's point of view, and the point of view of individuals surrounding Nori. The points of view of characters around Nori, did not seem to match how Nori was portrayed in her sections. The book didn't quite feel realistic and the characters were pretty stereotypical. I also found the ending to be disappointing. Overall, this book was a bust.

This was a FANTASTIC debut. I'm blown away. I've been thinking about Nori and the other characters non stop since I finished this book. The story of a young girl named Nori who is born from an affair her Japanese aristocrat mother had with a Black American soldier. As the book opens, her mother drops her off at her grandparent's estate with a note explaining everything and her mother is never seen again. Her family hates her because she a girl, she's Black, and she's part American and locks her in an attic. She's given acid baths to lighten her skin and is beaten by her grandmother for purely existing. When she finds out that she has an older brother and he's coming to live with them her life seems like it might turn around. The book follows Nori through her life as she battles with her heritage and her sense of self worth and where she belongs in the world. It's gripping and heartbreaking and an amazing amazing book. It's a 5 star read and everyone needs to pick it up.

I was totally surprised with this book. It was a very well told story of a Japanese girl who gets left on her wicked granparent’s doorstep. How she came to be there and how the rest of her life unfolds is written in such a way that I couldn’t put this book down. I felt sympathy for Nori and I loved the ending. I hope Nori’s tale can continue.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of FIFTY WORDS FOR RAIN through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for hosting the contest, and stay safe!