"Mother and Daughter"
Relationship too close and struggling
After picking these 3 I realised that they are not Japanese books but are all related to Japan and its history.
A mother in England reminiscing about her hometown Nagasaki and the woman she met during the war, a Korean mother who lived for her family in Japan throughout the war, a mother who was a popular prostitute in Indonesia colonised in Japan - and their daughters. Powerful.
1. A Pale View of Hills
Kazuo Ishiguro, 1982
UK
183 pages
[my comment]
Etsuko now lives in England, she thinks about her lost daughter while reminiscing about Nagasaki, about a strange woman and her daughter she met. The women's past, future and regrets.
[check on amazon.com]
2. Pachinko
Min Jin Lee, 2017
US
512 pages
[my comment]
A young Korean woman crossed the sea to Japan. She lived in the war time Japan as a zainichi, lived entirely for her family. Endless struggles and little happiness. The way of living passed down to her daughter. Life is a pachinko.
[check on amazon.com]
3. Beauty is a wound
Cantik Itu Luka
Eka Kurniawan, 2002
Indonesia
480 pages
[my comment]
Mixture of history and race, religions and politics and power, and living among men abusing all above. An epic drama of strong beautiful women. Her only hope is her ugly daughter. Blessed ugliness.
[check on amazon.com]
[related pages]
“A Pale View of Hills” Kazuo Ishiguro (1982) Review | slight malice of “normal” kind people
“Pachinko” Min Jin Lee (2017) Review | Zainichi Korean female epic
“Beauty is a wound” Eka Kurniawan (2002) Review | Mix of history, religions, power, and abuse
赤パンの本棚 akapan's bookshelf 