USA TODAY International Edition
Allende’s ‘ Japanese Lover’ is magical
Isabel Allende’s The Japanese Lover ( Atria, 322 pp., stars out of four) tackles many issues that are particularly relevant today. A world at war. Race. Immigration. But at its core, it is a love story. Well, actually it’s a story of loves.
The book opens in Lark House, an eccentric nursing home in Berkeley, Calif. When Irina Bazili begins work there, she meets the elderly Alma Belasco, and the first love story begins.
We are soon taken back to 1939 as Poland falls under the shadow of the Nazis, and young Alma’s parents send her to the United States to live with her aunt and uncle. As Alma slowly acclimates to San Francisco, she develops budding friendships with her cousin Nathaniel and the gardener’s son, Ichimei Fukuda.
Just as romance begins to blossom between Alma and Ichimei, the world erupts further into war. Ichimei and his family are declared enemies and relocated to the Topaz Japanese- American internment camp in Utah.
The book’s primary focus is between the worlds of Alma and Ichimei, both their youthful love affair and their years apart. But Irina has an equally turbulent past, and as her friendship with Alma grows, so does her relationship with Seth, Alma’s beloved grandson.
As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this secret passion that has endured for nearly 70 years.
The reader becomes engrossed in a tale that appears to move effortlessly back and forth between time, place and circumstance. The characters are richly developed, authentic and consistent in voice.
We are invested in not just Ichimei and Alma’s story, but all the love stories that are intrinsically linked to theirs. And through these many subplots, Allende crafts a narrative that is both magical and real.
With The Japanese Lover, Allende reminds us that, while not everyone has a true love, we all have loves that are true. Whether they be passionate, familial, unrequited or timeless, the one constant in our lives is love. And Isabel Allende celebrates them all, beautifully.