Gaijin

This was an enjoyable read, light in terms of speed to read it but not in terms of content. It touches upon themes like shame, suicide, sexual assault in an unusually gentle manner. The writer was quite adept at transporting the reader to the sweltering heat of Okinawa and portraying the cultural differences between the US and Japan.
It’s the story of an Illinois teenager who falls in love with a Japanese student and is inspired to move to Japan a few years later to experience the country he has brought to life for her. She finds more than just a culture shock when she arrives.

All in all, it is well written and engaging. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with copy in exchange for an honest review.

When Lucy first meets Owen Ota at Northwestern University, where she is studying journalism, she soon becomes quite besotted by him. He talks to her of traditional cultures of his home in Japan, the sheer beauty of the country and the gentle people. It isn’t long before she has fallen in love with him and his homeland. They are soon dating but he often refers to her as his friend, which she finds strange and things don’t progress quite like she would have liked, but she is still learning about his ways and traditions. He says he is a gaijin in her country, an unwanted foreigner.
Owen invites her to go to Japan with him but strangely disappears without saying anything to her. Lucy continues at university and adds a new course about Japan. When she sees a position advertised at a newspaper in Japan she applies for the position and is totally surprised that they offer her the job.
Lucy is determined to find out why Owen left her as he did, she is heartbroken. She has to grow up rather quickly in so many ways once she arrives in Japan. It is a cultural shock in every way possible. Determined not to go back home she faces everything head-on and finds a friend in an unexpected place. There are some very beautiful traditions but there are also some huge life expectations. Not everything in Japan is quite the dream country Lucy thought she was going to find.
I loved how Lucy’s character developed and how the environment made her so much stronger.
I wish to thank Anna Sacca of FSB Associates and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Gaijin is a tale that takes us to Okinawa the least Japanese place there is in Japan.

Lucy meets Owen at college in Illinois while studying, The duo are partned up to do a presentation together. For Lucy who is a pathological loner apart from her best friend Rosie, soon finds herself charmed by Owen and Japan. Owen ups and leaves heading back to Tokyo and it sets wheels in motion for Lucy to leave her life behind and head to Japan.
She applies for jobs and gets one working at a newspaper in Okinawa.
A place where thousands of American Military live, protests happen and its not all Lucy thought it would be.

Can Lucy push Owen to the back of her mind, and why is his brother Hisashi defensive when his name is mentioned.

Gaijin is a tale of love, compassion, overcoming fears and finding a path in your life to follow. Going on a journey and making new friends. Lucy follows a path that takes her on a journey and finding herself and being happy.

A highly enjoyable read.

‘You don't have to think about someone for him to be part of you. A person or memory just sits inside you and you have no choice about it.’

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Lucy is studying Journalism, when she meets the handsome Owen Ota ,a new student from Japan. Their relationship soon flourishes into something beyond just friends. But when Owen disappears without a word or trace, heartbroken Lucy embarks on a quest to track him down across Japan.
When Lucy lands a job in Okinawa, she is soon faced with the reality that the Japan she thought she knew, was nothing like she had dreamt. She experiences first hand the barriers of being a gaijin, a Japanese slur, a foreigner in a country that is so culturally different. The odds are stacked against her. She soon learns that she can not just speak her mind, that honour and loyalty is as strong in the modern world as it was during the samurai era.
She witnesses the racial protests against the American military, and the sexism women still face.
While following Lucy on her Journey to Okinawa, we clearly see her transformation. Lucy starts off being naive but her experiences in Japan allow her to grow into a young lady that knows her own mind and finds her true calling.
Okinawa to the Aokigahara, the suicide forest of Mt Fuji.
I didn't know much about Okinawa before reading the book, but it made me curious, so I read up about the history of Okinawa and of Aokigahara. There are some loose facts that the author uses to build her story around. There is definitely scope here to delve deeper, especially with the events that transpire in the book and real life. But this would make this particular story completely different. It’s a light but enjoyable read.

To be honest, based on the blurb of Gaijin, I was expecting a simple love story. What I got instead was a book filled with depth and beauty. That includes the story of Lucy and Owen, the descriptions of Japan, and a quest to find the truth.

However, as I already mentioned, this book has dark elements. As much as I was intrigued by haiku and tea ceremonies, I also learned how difficult it is to be a foreigner in certain parts of Japan and the contempt toward the American army. This delve into Japanese culture also showed me how certain traditions can ensure that areas of the population are not accepted, and how sexism is still rife. However, these themes were all touched upon in a respectful way, bringing no disrespect to Japan and its people.

Gaijin is the perfect balance between telling an intriguing story but staying true to real-life situations.