Blog Tour: “How to Be an American Housewife” by Margaret Dilloway
Please join Margaret Dilloway, author of How to Be an American Housewife, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!
To learn more about Margaret Dilloway, please visit her on Twitter and check out her blog!
Reviewed by Vera (Luxury Reading)
Raised in a small village in Japan during WWII, Shoko was encouraged by her parents to travel to the nearby city and work for the Americans. She needed to pay for her brother’s education they said, and of course, find an American husband for herself. Young and beautiful, Shoko had no lack of suitors, and with her father’s input, she settled on Charlie, a military medic, and set off in pursuit of becoming the perfect American housewife.
Years later, Shoko and Charlie are living a quite life in a San Diego suburb with two grown children. Life hasn’t turned out quite as Shoko imagined, but she has made do. Unfortunately, their daughter Sue, a divorced single mother, has had to make do with her less than perfect lot in life as well.
As Shoko’s health declines, she fears that she will never have the chance to travel back to Japan and reunite with her brother Taro. Marrying Charlie meant dishonoring Taro, who hated Americans, and Shoko has not spoken to her brother since leaving Japan. She entreats Sue to go in her place before it’s too late. Once reluctant, Sue finds the trip unexpectedly meaningful; the revelations that come about and the people she meets surprise Sue in more ways than one.
[amazonify]0399156372[/amazonify]How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway is about learning to survive in a foreign culture, about striving for a better life for your children, and about hoping that it is not too late to address the choices you’ve made in the past.
The book is split into alternating viewpoints, the first half told by Shoko and the remainder continued by Sue. It was very interesting to see the same situation through two pairs of eyes, and to note that Sue’s attitude towards her mother was at times completely different than the way Shoko perceived it.
While I felt that the book overall was too quiet and was missing some oomph factor that would really make me want to keep reading, it was heartfelt and gave me some insight into the lives of Japanese wives of American GIs post WWII. At times, How to Be an American Housewife was even humorous; the tidbits added from the fictional How to be an American Housewife handbook prior to each chapter definitely gave me a lot to laugh at.
Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Putnam Adult. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
Category: Contemporary, Literature & Fiction
I finally gave up on the contests and bought the book. I still haven’t read it but I hear it calling to me every time I pass the shelf.
I don’t know what it would be like to be fully immersed into a different culture like my son who is living in Chengdu, China right now. I am very curious how the differences in culture effected her. I do know that being married to a Chinese person is very different than being married to bai-ren (white person).
A good deal of the culture revolves around good. It seems to tie the family together. There are lots of other differences too. I am looking forward to pulling this book off the shelf and seeing what life was like for Shoko.
Carol Wong
Sounds like a really good read, always like to learn about diff cultures even thru the form of fiction, if they have been well researched and the characters sound/act believable.
It is good to be back to the computer and reading your blog again, was so sick in June and away at the beginning of July.
Kelly H recently posted..Booland Designs is BACK
Thanks for the review!
Here’s a secret: I based the Helena character on what I thought my oldest daughter might be like at that age. Now she’s 11 and she’s pretty much exactly like Helena, down to the strong interest in anime. LOL.
Please do stop by my website, or friend me on Facebook, and feel free to ask questions.
Aloha,
Margaret
Thanks for visiting Margaret!
Aloha!=)
I really liked this one. I read and reviewed it a while back and found it fascinating!=)
I hope everyone gets a chance to read this one!
Chas @ LLL Reviews recently posted..Todays Releases
I read this book last week on vacation and it is actually my favorite book of the year so far. Part of that is due to the fact that my stepdad is Japanese and the main character, Shoko, reminded me so much of his mother, who recently passed away. She had funny little ways of seeing the world and raising her children that were definitely more Japanese than American, and that was perfectly captured in the book- I got the biggest kick over it. I also loved the dual viewpoint of the mother and daughter- how one was so exasperated with the other and how they viewed things so differently. Loved it.
Thanks so much for your review and for being on the tour. We really appreciate it!
Lisa Munley recently posted..TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for July 12th – July 16th
This sounds really good! I had to peek in and see how you were doing over here – still reading amazing books I see.
Sheila (Bookjourney) recently posted..It’s Monday- What Are You Reading
Like Colleen, I saw this on Goodreads, and it keeps catching my eye … Nice to see a better review of it.
Sounds like one of those stories that, while not particularly “active”, is one to make you think. The cover is so pretty and restful – I’m actually kinda glad to hear the book is ‘quiet’ too … and that the title comes from a “real” handbook featured in the novel! I like when covers actually match their books 
I think this book sounds wonderful and so many people can relate to at least a part of it. Who hasn’t had some portion of their life turn out different then they expected? And, with such a progressive, changing world, many people move, adapt and change to a foreign culture for survival and need. I have had my eye on this book since I saw it on goodreads so will keep my eye open for it in stores. Thanks for the review!
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