2.5 stars

This book started off so well! I (perhaps stupidly) didn’t read the synopsis before diving in, so I was unaware of the flashbacks to the Second World War and exploration of ‘comfort women’ in army camps, and for 150 pages at the start, none of this appeared. Which I don’t really think is ideal.

I was settled into a quiet yet profound novel about a Korean-born Japanese man who settled in a small town outside of New York City, payed close attention to his reputation as an up-standing citizen, and tried his best to father his adoptive daughter while living as a bachelor.

When the war extracts began, I was completely blindsided. I don’t know how I felt about what would make a compelling novel of its own (the horrors ‘comfort women’ endured in the camps) not making an appearance until halfway in, and then focusing on the main character falling in love with one of these women. I could have skipped all of the war chapters and the present day narrative would have still made perfect sense, so make of that what you will.

I still enjoyed the parts of Franklin’s later life, exploring his friendships and relationships in Bedley Run as an older man, and then his later relationship with his adoptive daughter once she was grown up. I just wish it had focussed solely on that.