The Japanese Lover

By: Isabel Allende

Narrated by: Joanna Gleason

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times and internationally best-selling author Isabel Allende, an exquisitely crafted love story and multigenerational epic that sweeps from San Francisco in the present day to Poland and the United States during the Second World War.

In 1939, as Poland falls under the shadow of the Nazis, young Alma Belasco's parents send her away to live in safety with an aunt and uncle in their opulent mansion in San Francisco. There, as the rest of the world goes to war, she encounters Ichimei Fukuda, the quiet and gentle son of the family's Japanese gardener. Unnoticed by those around them, a tender love affair begins to blossom. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the two are cruelly pulled apart as Ichimei and his family - like thousands of other Japanese Americans - are declared enemies and forcibly relocated to internment camps run by the United States government. Throughout their lifetimes, Alma and Ichimei reunite again and again, but theirs is a love that they are forever forced to hide from the world.

Decades later, Alma is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. Irina Bazili, a care worker struggling to come to terms with her own troubled past, meets the elderly woman and her grandson, Seth, at San Francisco's charmingly eccentric Lark House nursing home. As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this extraordinary secret passion that has endured for nearly 70 years.

Sweeping through time and spanning generations and continents, The Japanese Lover explores questions of identity, abandonment, redemption, and the unknowable impact of fate on our lives. Written with the same attention to historical detail and keen understanding of her characters that Isabel Allende has been known for since her landmark first novel The House of the Spirits, The Japanese Lover is a profoundly moving tribute to the constancy of the human heart in a world of unceasing change.

©2015 Isabel Allende (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

Disappointed

A very boring story. No heart. Poor character development. Disjointed. Predictable. Glad when it ended.

Interesting love story

Amazing love story full of surprises. Allende's great talents brings you back to so many different time lines. Truly amazing.

Wonderful

One of the best stories I have ever heard! Loved loved it! Warm, inspiring and memorable!

A lot of characters

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was good, and there were a lot of characters that I found somewhat hard to keep straight. It came more to life for me toward the middle of the book.

Would you be willing to try another book from Isabel Allende? Why or why not?

I have read several of her books and would read another book by her.

True love hurts to the deepest part of our souls.

Loved it! for that beautiful love that we were never able to show and scream to the world!!!

slow start

It takes a while to get going. If you can make it to chapter 22 then you will enjoy it.

The Japanese Lover might be Isabel Allende's best

I loved this book. The characters were very real and I felt like I knew the characters personally. The story was so compelling that it was hard to take a break from listening. At times, the author did not tell the story in chronological order, but the transitions were very smooth and it was never confusing. There were some surprises in the story that would not have been possible if the author had stuck with chronological presentation. Also, the narration was excellent.

Vivid stories of trauma recovery and love

This book has highlighted an important bond that happens between those who have known great peril. Often easing in trust is a major part of those who have experienced traumatic events. Showcasing the intense bond and profundity of unconditional love despite a life of pain is an incredible reminder of what unites us.

Mispronounced words detracted from performance

This story was great, and if you know zero Japanese and/or don't value attention to detail, then you'll find the performance quite good as well. However, from the perspective of a Japanese speaker. Listening to her mispronounce simple words such as "Neko" (correctly pronounced neck-o) was a terrible distraction. I know the author took a lot of time researching and respecting Japanese culture when writing this book. Hearing the performer say "knee-ko" over and over again showed me that neither the performer or the director could be bothered to do the same. It was the equivalent to me as hearing a performance of a book about a Spanish romance and hearing the performer say "Hoe-la" instead of "Hola", it's lazy and disrespectful to all the work put into the art. Not to mention the culture being referenced. Highly recommend the book. Do not recommend this performance.

Great book. but needs a different title.

I avoided this one because the title seems to suggest erotica. Instead it is the amazing story of a Polish refugee, an abused child,, a Japanese gardener and his family being semt to an internment camp, a retirement home and so many wonderful characters and their stories. Of course, there is a wonderful twist near the end.