I know that you are not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but both the cover and the title made me cringe. I knew right away that this was going to be one of those very sappy portrayals of Japan filled with the requisite tropes. I was not wrong. The story played on many others before it and was very predictable and much too pat in the contrivances that were used to make the story fit the mold.

Yet, the writing is fairly tight. I wish the author had dug deeper into the story, but it really wasn't meant to be anything but a sappy romance. I appreciated the details that gave the reader a taste of New Zealanders in Japan after the war. For the American reader, this is quite interesting. And though the storyline was contrived, it was smoothly done. I easily read to the end, though all the way sighing at how saccharine it was.

I think that there are no major mistakes made in the portrayal of Japan. The author did her research and like I said, her writing is smooth. For what this is meant to be, it will be pleasing to those types of readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It was better than I thought it would be.

What a beautiful story! When Mick leaves New Zealand to go to Japan to help after the war, he falls in love with Emiko. Mick is a thoroughly likeable character, with a good heart and practical skills. When things take a turn for the worse after their marriage, and Emiko is desperately ill after the birth of their baby, life gets hard. This is book about kindness, prejudice, family and healing. It is also about making your life in the face of adversity, and the power of friendships. What decisions would you have made if you were Dorothy in 1947? Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was breathtaking. I read this in less than 24 hours. The characters were wonderful, likable, full of life. The looks into Japanese culture and post WW2 life were eye opening. The flow of the story was beautiful, unexpected, and poignant. I loved everything about this book. It was real and raw, and showed love, friendships, and family connections. I will definitely buy this in print when it's released, and read it again. What a debut novel! 10/10 recommend. ❤️

I give this a 5/5!