See: Loss. See Also: Love

When Kyoko is unexpectedly widowed, she must choose between returning to Japan to raise her young son, Alex, or remaining in the United States. Torn between her traditional upbringing and a desire to give Alex more freedom and opportunity, she forges her own path and settles in San Francisco. Four stories follow the course of Kyoko’s and Alex’s lives through loss, loneliness, and love, from a road trip with Kyoko’s “Jewish genie” mother-in-law to Alex’s first fumbling romance. Their journey shows that happiness and humor can still be found in the wake of heartbreak. Tominaga makes a thought-provoking debut with this intricate novel whose various vignettes focus on motherhood, womanhood, and other aspects of the human experience. Narrator Jensen Olaya gives an engaging performance of Kyoko’s first-person perspective. Her no-frills delivery enhances the disconnect that Kyoko feels after her husband’s death and the candid, compelling stories that follow.