The Japanese Lover is the eighteenth book written by Chilean author Isabel Allende. It was published in 2015 and tells the story of a love between a Polish woman and a Japanese American after the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. The book is set during World War II. Like Allende’s other books, it follows a story that covers many years.

The book uses magical realism and historical romance, similar to her earlier works. The Japanese Lover also happened around the same time that Allende received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Barack Obama.

Plot synopsis

In 2015, an 80-year-old woman named Alma Belasco moves into Lark House, a retirement home in San Francisco for people with unique personalities. Irina Bazili, a young woman from Moldova, works as the caretaker of Lark House. Irina has a difficult past, but she keeps her feelings private. Because of her careful and quiet nature, Alma hires Irina as her personal secretary. As the story progresses, important events from the second half of the 20th century are shared along with Alma’s personal experiences.

A secret admirer sends Alma letters, notes, and gifts. While trying to find the admirer, Alma is helped by Irina and her grandson, Seth, who has feelings for Irina. As Irina spends more time with Seth and Alma, she finds a photo of a man in Alma’s room. Alma explains that the man is Ichimei Fukuda, a Japanese-American she met in 1939. She tells Irina the story of how they met.

In 1939, Germany was attacking Poland, and Alma, who was eight years old, was sent to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt in San Francisco to escape the Holocaust. There, she met Ichimei, the son of her uncle’s gardener. They became friends and later fell in love. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Japanese-Americans, including Ichimei, were forced into internment camps. Despite being separated, Alma and Ichimei kept their secret relationship alive by writing letters. Later, Alma married Nathaniel, her cousin and a childhood friend of both her and Ichimei. However, she continued sending letters to Ichimei for many years.

Irina tries to avoid romantic relationships but shares her painful past with Seth, including her experience with an abusive stepfather. As Irina and Seth grow closer, Alma becomes weaker and eventually passes away. The story ends with one final letter between Alma and Ichimei, revealing that Ichimei had died years earlier.

Reception

The book The Japanese Lover is a commercial success, as it became a bestseller. It covers events from the 1930s to the 2010s. However, the story is criticized for being too long and detailed, which makes it hard to follow. The many characters in the book are not well-developed and often rely on stereotypes. According to Lucy Ferris of the New York Times, the story is simple, and the characters have unclear reasons for their actions. The Los Angeles Times described the book as a disappointing and unexciting story.