Midori by Moonlight

By Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

Book Overview

Midori Saito's dream seems about to come true. Too independent for Japanese society, Midori is a young woman who has always felt like a stranger in her native land. So when she falls in love with Kevin, an American English teacher, she readily agrees to leave home and start a new life with him in San Francisco--as his fianc e. Kevin seems to be the perfect man. That is, until he dumps her for his blonde ex-fianc e, whom Midori never even knew existed. Midori is left on her own, with just a smattering of fractured English, not much cash, and a fianc e visa set to expire in sixty days. Unable to face the humiliation of telling her parents she's been jilted, and not wanting to give up on her "American Dream," Midori realizes she's in for quite a challenge. Her only hope is her new acquaintance (and potential landlord) Shinji, a successful San Francisco graphic artist and amateur moon gazer who fled Japan after a family tragedy. And eventually, Midori surprises even herself as she proves she will do almost anything to hang on to her dream of a new life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312372612
• ISBN13: 9780312372613
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

What a fun book!

I have a soft spot for chick lit but most of the books are so samey and predictable that I wind up not reading much of it. I spotted "Midori by Moonlight" on the new books table at a local store, and because of my interest in Japanese culture and the hometown (San Francisco) setting, I couldn't resist picking it up. I'm glad I did -- I read the entire thing in one sitting because I couldn't put it down! It's light but explores some serious themes, too, such as the importance of conformity in Japanese culture. If you live in SF, the perfect place to read the book would be while enjoying a delicate dessert at Miette in the Ferry Building, one of the inspirations for the pastry shops Midori loves so much. This book is guaranteed to make you smile and brighten your day!

Midori conquers San Francisco, one dessert at a time

Midori Saito is an innocent yet powerful heroine. Tokunaga presents her new-to-America, just-hilted protagonist as a woman who never quite fit in in her native Japan, and leapt at the chance to go with the gaijin of her dreams to San Francisco. Once there, however, she winds up living in an apartment with her ex-fiance's friend, Shinji, lusting after a gay chef, and working as a bar hostess. She avidly follows the soap opera Farrington Falls, only sometimes realizing that there are aspects of her life that could be described as soap operatic (not necessarily through her own doing, but for a relatively simple woman, she winds up in some unusual situations). Midori's most charming trait is her relentless efforts to learn English and constant questioning of idiomatic phrases. Her use of them shows that she truly wants to fit in, and slowly, she does. There's a slightly outlandish story line about Japanese criminals that didn't totally ring true for me, but that's okay, because Midori is sweet but not gullible. She shows signs of fierceness, even though she doesn't always live up to them, and the tension between her traditional family, eager to marry her off, and her desire to make a real life for herself, on her own terms, exploring who she is and her new city, is powerful. One of the ways Midori distinguishes herself is with her sweet tooth. She treats the desserts she buys and lovingly savors with the utmost of attention, capturing each one in her pastry album, and concocting her own creations. "Why would anyone wnat to sniff cocaine when there's marzipan in the world?" she wonders at one point, and her attention to detail, from making special cakes for Shinji's girlfriend, to making sure each one is perfect, is delightful to read about. Her desserts represent her independence; she is not making them out of obligation to a husband, but because she simply loves the act, and thankfully she manages to make money from her tasty snacks. This is a wonderful first novel, and even though it's about culture clash and immigration to a large extent, the wonder Midori feels when she first arrives in San Francisco is akin to the wonder we all feel upon moving to a new city. Seeing Midori succeed, contrasted with her best friend stuck back in Japan at a job she hates or what happens with some of her fellow bar hostesses, makes this a happy ending you'll savor as much as the sweetest dessert.

Delightful

Tokunaga depicts her heroine with sympathy, depth, and humor, as she makes a new life in San Francisco after being jilted by her soon-to-be husband. Midori is as charming a main character as I've seen in a while--you'll be rooting for her from page one!

Funny, quirky and endearing

This was a "chick" book but I couldn't put it down. I taught English in Tokyo for two years so could relate to the entire story line: the quirky mentality of a Japanese "office lady", the mixed up attempts at English idioms and unspoken social attitudes of the Japanese. Great, light reading!

great book!

Such a hilarious story and it cheers you up. I recommend this to everybody who enjoys romantic comedy movies. I was so hooked by the vivid descriptions of the scenes, the people and the rhythm of the dialogs. It has an exciting story line with some twists. There are varieties of scenes where you laugh and cry. Everyone can experience San Francisco, too. It also has realistic cultural information of Japan.