Amid a sweltering Los Angeles heat wave, Murano, a reclusive high school English teacher, is muddling through life. Reeling from his father’s sudden death as well as his own recent cancer diagnosis, he passes time hazily grading papers and appeasing disgruntled parents while counting down each day until summer vacation. The monotony breaks when he inherits his great-uncle Benjiro’s unpublished memoir. As the memoir introduces him to relatives he never knew existed and unearths hidden complexities of the past, Murano is pulled close to the Japanese identity he’s dismissed all of his life.
Addressing issues such as family, racism, identity, gender roles, classism, and entitlement, Furutani’s novel brings much to the table for book groups to discuss. As much of a strong work of historical fiction as a social commentary on the human race, this debut proves that Furutani is a writer to watch.
Furutani excels at breathing life into the historical period with details from Benjiro’s memoir, as well as journal entries, newspaper clippings, and letters that flesh out the Muranos’ turmoil and relationships. It’s a memorable family drama.
