| Saturday, February 04, 2012
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 Get latest news, my upcoming events, workshops and useful tips for writers directly from me (sent 4 ~ 6 times a year.) |
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 A delightful novel about love, identity, and what it means to be adrift in a strange land. This story of a search has an Alice in Wonderland vibe; when Celeste climbs down the rabbit hole, one can't help but follow along.
–Michelle Richmond, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog
* * * * *
An amusing story of one woman's quest for her father and the improbable path of love.
—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
* * * * * "Twists and surprises abound as does humor and tenderness. Love in Translation was a joy to read."
— Beth Hoffman, bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.
* * * * *
—Malena Watrous, author of If You Follow Me
* * * * *
"Tokunaga strikes just the right balance between serious and silly in this coming-of-age story for adults. Her best work yet."
—Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei and Call Me Okaasan.
* * * * *
"Celeste is an easy character to cheer for."
—Melanie Ho, Asian Review of Books
* * * * *
Tokunaga... describe[s] Japanese culture in absorbing detail.
—Publishers Weekly
* * * * *
A delightful plot with wonderful characterizations.
—Affair de Coeur Magazine
—Publishers’ Weekly
"Tokunaga suffuses the book with warmth and lightness .....Just as the right dessert hits the spot, reading this delicious slice of escapism makes for a perfect afternoon. But instead of suffering a sugar crash afterward, you'll muse for days about the characters you've left behind and why they matter so much to you.
—San Francisco Chronicle
“A delightful debut novel.” —Tokyo Metropolis
“A surprisingly pleasurable read.”—Daily Yomiuri
Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Vertigo) says, “A delightful fusion of East meeting West, as if Banana Yoshimoto and Meg Cabot got together to create a romantic comedy.”
* * *
A delightful novel about love, identity, and what it means to be adrift in a strange land. This story of a search has an Alice in Wonderland vibe; when Celeste climbs down the rabbit hole, one can't help but follow along.
–Michelle Richmond, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Fog
* * * * *
An amusing story of one woman's quest for her father and the improbable path of love.
—Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters
* * * * * "Twists and surprises abound as does humor and tenderness. Love in Translation was a joy to read."
— Beth Hoffman, bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.
* * * * *
—Malena Watrous, author of If You Follow Me
* * * * *
"Tokunaga strikes just the right balance between serious and silly in this coming-of-age story for adults. Her best work yet."
—Suzanne Kamata, author of Losing Kei and Call Me Okaasan.
* * * * *
"Celeste is an easy character to cheer for."
—Melanie Ho, Asian Review of Books
* * * * *
Tokunaga... describe[s] Japanese culture in absorbing detail.
—Publishers Weekly
* * * * *
A delightful plot with wonderful characterizations.
—Affair de Coeur Magazine
—Publishers’ Weekly
"Tokunaga suffuses the book with warmth and lightness .....Just as the right dessert hits the spot, reading this delicious slice of escapism makes for a perfect afternoon. But instead of suffering a sugar crash afterward, you'll muse for days about the characters you've left behind and why they matter so much to you.
—San Francisco Chronicle
“A delightful debut novel.” —Tokyo Metropolis
“A surprisingly pleasurable read.”—Daily Yomiuri
Author Lauren Baratz-Logsted (Vertigo) says, “A delightful fusion of East meeting West, as if Banana Yoshimoto and Meg Cabot got together to create a romantic comedy.”
* * *
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| Love in Translation Book Club Questions
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Love in Translation Book Group Discussion Questions- Celeste’s homestay situation reminds her of when she was a foster child. Why? Discuss the conflicted feelings she has about Mrs. Kubota as a mother figure and living with a family with free room and board simply because she is a native speaker of English.
- Celeste must grapple with a number of cultural mistakes and miscues in being a gaijin in Japan. Discuss what are the most embarrassing and if you would handle anything differently than she did.
- Takuya grew up in Japan, but has also lived and worked in the United States. Do you think he can be happy living permanently in Japan? What might make him want to return to the U.S.?
- Mrs. Kubota seems to be obsessed with foreigners. Why do you think this is?
~ Celeste must deal with a number of insecurities that seem to manifest even more as a stranger in a strange land. What are some of these? Does she overcome any of them by the end of the book?
- By the end of the novel Celeste sees Mariko as an older sister, but at first the relationship has its difficulties. What do you think drives Mariko’s behavior? Was there anything that surprised you about her?
- What makes Takuya so attractive to Celeste? How is he different from her old boyfriend Dirk? Have you ever been in a cross-cultural relationship either personally or professionally? What were the positive and negative aspects?
- The power and love of music is a theme in Love in Translation. Have you ever been attracted by songs sung in foreign languages? Do you have special memories of a song you heard while abroad? Have you ever sung karaoke?
~ What is your opinion of Sakura Sasaki, the Hen Na Gaijin television show, and the way foreigners are depicted?
- Discuss why Celeste’s mother referred to her Aunt Mitch as a witch. Was this justified? Was Aunt Mitch too rash in her actions regarding Kenji and Barbara? Why or why not?
- By the end of the book Celeste has discovered her own voice. Why is she able to gain confidence in her singing?
- Discuss any experiences you might have had traveling or living abroad. What were the challenges? Would you ever consider living in a foreign country? Could you see yourself becoming a permanent expatriate
Love in Translation Book Group Discussion Questions- Celeste’s homestay situation reminds her of when she was a foster child. Why? Discuss the conflicted feelings she has about Mrs. Kubota as a mother figure and living with a family with free room and board simply because she is a native speaker of English.
- Celeste must grapple with a number of cultural mistakes and miscues in being a gaijin in Japan. Discuss what are the most embarrassing and if you would handle anything differently than she did.
- Takuya grew up in Japan, but has also lived and worked in the United States. Do you think he can be happy living permanently in Japan? What might make him want to return to the U.S.?
- Mrs. Kubota seems to be obsessed with foreigners. Why do you think this is?
~ Celeste must deal with a number of insecurities that seem to manifest even more as a stranger in a strange land. What are some of these? Does she overcome any of them by the end of the book?
- By the end of the novel Celeste sees Mariko as an older sister, but at first the relationship has its difficulties. What do you think drives Mariko’s behavior? Was there anything that surprised you about her?
- What makes Takuya so attractive to Celeste? How is he different from her old boyfriend Dirk? Have you ever been in a cross-cultural relationship either personally or professionally? What were the positive and negative aspects?
- The power and love of music is a theme in Love in Translation. Have you ever been attracted by songs sung in foreign languages? Do you have special memories of a song you heard while abroad? Have you ever sung karaoke?
~ What is your opinion of Sakura Sasaki, the Hen Na Gaijin television show, and the way foreigners are depicted?
- Discuss why Celeste’s mother referred to her Aunt Mitch as a witch. Was this justified? Was Aunt Mitch too rash in her actions regarding Kenji and Barbara? Why or why not?
- By the end of the book Celeste has discovered her own voice. Why is she able to gain confidence in her singing?
- Discuss any experiences you might have had traveling or living abroad. What were the challenges? Would you ever consider living in a foreign country? Could you see yourself becoming a permanent expatriate
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