Y is for Yoshikawa

I got back on track for my next to last novel in the journey. Surprisingly, there were several Y authors from which to choose. When I first started reading this one, I wasn't sure I'd made the right choice, but as I read, I really fell for "One hundred and one ways" by Mako Yoshikawa.

Kiki Takehashi is a modern American woman who is of Japanese descent. She worries that the men she falls for are only falling for her because of what she calls an "Asian-woman fetish." She is dating Eric but can't get over Phillip, who died while mountain climbing. In fact, Phillip still haunts her as a small, naked figure in her apartment. This triangle is but one part of the novel. Kiki's relationship with the grandmother she's never met is a wonderful part of the story. Kiki is the namesake of her grandmother, Yukiko, who had been a geisha as a young woman. Throughout the novel, Kiki thinks about the questions she will ask her grandmother, questions that she has never asked her mother. Kiki's relationship with her mother is another strong issue in the novel. In fact, the triangle of Kiki, her mother and grandmother is as strong a storyline as is the triangle of Kiki, Eric and Phillip.

As for the relationship with Eric, maybe it was just me, but I had a hard time getting behind it. I'm not sure if I was just feeling Kiki's suspicions about Eric's motives or if he was just written so that the reader wouldn't like him very much. At the same time, I wasn't crazy about Phillip or his little ghost. As I got to know Kiki, I wanted more and better for her. It's a good read when you can feel real emotion for a character.

"One hundred and one ways" is a love story and a coming of age story and a story of mothers and daughters and a story of cultures. It is beautifully written, at times haunting, at other times jubilant. I think every young woman can see something of herself in Kiki. She is not the perfect heroine. She is not the perfect girlfriend or daughter. Like many of us at times, she doesn't know what she wants to do or with whom she wants to spend her life.

I recommend "One hundred and one ways" to women who have wondered if they are on the right track. I recommend it to those who have loved and lost and wonder if they are ready to love again. I recommend it to every woman who has had a sometimes tough relationship with her mother. I really enjoyed the writing of Mako Yoshikawa and recommend her highly.