Today I’m sharing my review of Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie. I loved this book so much and I am glad I finally read it.
Synopsis
From debut author Asha Lemmie, a sweeping, heartrending coming-of-age novel about a young woman’s quest for acceptance in post–World War II Japan.
Kyoto, Japan, 1948. “If a woman knows nothing else, she should know how to be silent. . . . Do not question. Do not fight. Do not resist.” Such is eight-year-old Noriko “Nori” Kamiza’s first lesson. She will not question why her mother abandoned her with only these final words. She will not fight her confinement to the attic of her grandparents’ imperial estate. And she will not resist the scalding chemical baths she receives daily to lighten her shameful skin.
The illegitimate child of a Japanese aristocrat and her African American GI lover, Nori is an outsider from birth. Though her grandparents take her in, they do so only to conceal her, fearful of a stain on the royal pedigree that they are desperate to uphold in a changing Japan. Obedient to a fault, Nori accepts her solitary life for what it is, despite her natural intellect and nagging curiosity about what lies outside the attic’s walls. But when chance brings her legitimate older half-brother, Akira, to the estate that is his inheritance and destiny, Nori finds in him the first person who will allow her to question, and the siblings form an unlikely but powerful bond—a bond their formidable grandparents cannot allow and that will irrevocably change the lives they were always meant to lead. Because now that Nori has glimpsed a world in which perhaps there is a place for her after all, she is ready to fight to be a part of it—a battle that just might cost her everything.
Spanning decades and continents, Fifty Words for Rain is a dazzling epic about the ties that bind, the ties that give you strength, and what it means to try to break free.
Why I Decided to Read this Book
My friend Meredith loved this book and I trust her reading recommendations so I finally decided to pick it up. This was also a GMA Book Club pick last year and I tend to like their picks.
Rating
5 Stars (Check out my rating system!)
My Thoughts
I loved this book so much! One of the top books I read this year. It is honestly the perfect mix of beautiful writing, amazingly written characters and interesting plot. The book takes place over a few decades and a few different places, but it is mostly set in Japan. It is a heartbreaking story and one where yes there’s a lot of sad things that happen but it leaves you full of hope (at least the way I interpreted the ending). The main character Nori is one that I won’t forget.
This is a debut book and I am in awe of Asha Lemmie. I am so glad this was a GMA Book Club pick last year and that the book has reached more people that way because it is amazing. I can’t wait to read more from her.
As far as format, I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook while reading this one because all I wanted to do was read it. The narration of the audiobook was great but I also loved savoring the writing by reading the physical book. I recommend both formats.
Content Warnings
Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Car accident, Death, Suicide Attempt, Racism, Sexual Assault, Abandonment
Who I Recommend this Book to
If you love historical fiction and beautiful writing you’ll love this one. I would say if you loved A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum you’ll like this book.
Get the Book!
Did this review of Fifty Words for Rain convince you to read it? Check out the links below to order it from Bookshop.org and libro.fm. Please consider ordering it from a Black owned independent bookstore. This list of Black owned independent bookstores accepts online ordering.
If you’ve read this book let me know your thoughts in the comments!
100% agree, I loved A Woman is No Man and loved this one! You never steer me wrong!!