Synopses & Reviews
The award-winning author of How to Be an American Housewife returns with a poignant story of estranged sisters, forced together by family tragedy, who soon learn that sisterhood knows no limits.
Rachel and Drew Snow may be sisters, but their lives have followed completely different paths.
Married to a wonderful man and a mother to two strong-minded teens, Rachel hasnt returned to her childhood home since being kicked out by her strict father after an act of careless teenage rebellion. Drew, her younger sister, followed her passion for music but takes side jobs to make ends meet and longs for the stability that has always eluded her. Both sisters recall how close they were, but the distance between them seems more than they can bridge. When their deferential Japanese mother, Hikari, is diagnosed with dementia and gives Rachel power of attorney, Rachels domineering father, Killian becomes enraged.
In a rare moment of lucidity, Hikari asks Rachel for a book in her sewing room, and Rachel enlists her sisters help in the search. The bookwhich tells the tale of real-life female samurai Tomoe Gozen, an epic saga of love, loss, and conflict during twelfth-century Japanreveals truths about Drew and Rachels relationship that resonate across the centuries, connecting them in ways that turn their differences into assets.
Review
and#8220;I was captivated from the very first page. This uplifting novel about family and forgiveness brought me to both laughter and tears.and#8221;and#8212;Jean Kwok,
New York Times bestselling author of
Girl in Translation and#8220;Rapturous. To say I loved this book is an understatement.and#8221;and#8212;Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You
and#8220;A touching, moving storyand#8230;Margaret Dilloway is a gifted, talented writer.and#8221;and#8212;Darien Gee, author of Friendship Bread
and#8220;Galilee Garner is as prickly, thorny, and gracefully sweet as one of her prize roses.and#8221;and#8212;Tiffany Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
and#8220;Even readers with black thumbs will be enchanted by the bramble beauty that is Galilee Garner. Dilloway has cultivated a fascinating plot in the rich science and magic of flower breeding. A story about family and the ways in which the unexpected blossom is often the most cherished. This novel is a rose personified.and#8221;and#8212;Sara McCoy, author of The Bakerand#8217;s Daughter and The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico
and#8220;Believable situations with well-drawn characters make this novel as lovely as the roses Gal tends. Dillowayand#8217;s second novel is a captivating study of how love and understanding nurture our lives. Engaging, enlightening, thoughtful, this is a winner.and#8221;and#8212;Library Journal
Review
“A skillfully woven tale where the lore of a twelfth-century female samurai helps two present-day sisters release the past and heal their fractured lives. Vivid, detailed, and historically fascinating.”
—Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Me
"I deeply admire Margaret Dilloways deftness in braiding together past and present, but what I love best about this book is that every relationship rings true, particularly the complicated bonds of sisterhood. As Drew and Rachel struggle toward each other, butting heads, wrestling with old jealousies, discovering deep reservoirs of love, I kept thinking: 'Yes! Thats it. Thats exactly how it is.'"—Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author of Love Walked In and Belong to Me
"Dilloway's historical tale of legendary love and loss illuminates a modern-day struggle between sisters-- both the intense conflict and devotion. If you don't have a sister, you'll wish you had one. If you do, you'll want to go find her and hold her tight."—
Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home
Praise for Margaret Dilloway
“This radiant debut pays moving tribute to the power of forgiveness.”
— People
“Enchanting... Dilloway splits her narrative gracefully between mother and daughter making a beautifully realized whole.”
— Publishers Weekly
“Heartfelt…Lovely.” — USA Today
“A nuanced debut.” — Redbook
“A tender and captivating novel of family secrets and redemption, and a compelling look at the complex love languages spoken within three generations of a family.”
—Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Synopsis
A mother-daughter story about the strong pull of tradition, and the lure and cost of breaking free of it. When Shoko decided to marry an American GI and leave Japan, she had her parents' blessing, her brother's scorn, and a gift from her husband-a book on how to be a proper American housewife.
As she crossed the ocean to America, Shoko also brought with her a secret she would need to keep her entire life...
Half a century later, Shoko's plans to finally return to Japan and reconcile with her brother are derailed by illness. In her place, she sends her grown American daughter, Sue, a divorced single mother whose own life isn't what she hoped for. As Sue takes in Japan, with all its beauty and contradictions, she discovers another side to her mother and returns to America unexpectedly changed and irrevocably touched.
Synopsis
Winner of the ALA Reading List Award
Difficult and obstinate. Thriving under a set of specific and limited conditions. That pretty much describes me. Maybe thatand#8217;s why I like these roses so much.
Roses are Galilee Garnerand#8217;s passion. An amateur breeder, she painstakingly cross-pollinates her plants to coax out new, better traits, striving to create a perfect strain of her favorite flower, the Hulthemia. Her dream is to win a major rose competition and one day have her version of the bloom sold in the commercial market.
Gal carefully calibrates the rest of her time to manage the kidney failure sheand#8217;s had since childhood, going to dialysis every other night, and teaching high school biology, where she is known for her exacting standards. The routine leaves little room for relationships, and Gal prefers it that way. Her roses never disappoint her the way people have.
Then one afternoon, Riley, the teenaged daughter of Galand#8217;s estranged sister, arrives unannounced to live with her, turning Galand#8217;s orderly existence upside down. Suddenly forced to adjust to each otherand#8217;s worlds, both will discover a resilience they never knew they had and a bond they never knew they needed.
Synopsis
Winner of the ALA Reading List Award
Difficult and obstinate. Thriving under a set of specific and limited conditions. That pretty much describes me. Maybe thatand#8217;s why I like these roses so much.
Roses are Galilee Garnerand#8217;s passion. An amateur breeder, she painstakingly cross-pollinates her plants to coax out new, better traits, striving to create a perfect strain of her favorite flower, the Hulthemia. Her dream is to win a major rose competition and one day have her version of the bloom sold in the commercial market.
Gal carefully calibrates the rest of her time to manage the kidney failure sheand#8217;s had since childhood, going to dialysis every other night, and teaching high school biology, where she is known for her exacting standards. The routine leaves little room for relationships, and Gal prefers it that way. Her roses never disappoint her the way people have.
Then one afternoon, Riley, the teenaged daughter of Galand#8217;s estranged sister, arrives unannounced to live with her, turning Galand#8217;s orderly existence upside down. Suddenly forced to adjust to each otherand#8217;s worlds, both will discover a resilience they never knew they had and a bond they never knew they needed.
About the Author
Margaret Dilloway was inspired by her Japanese mother's experiences when she wrote this novel, and especially by a book her father had given to her mother called The American Way of Housekeeping. Dilloway lives in Hawaii with her husband and their three young children. Her blog, American Housewife, can be found on her website, www.margaretdilloway.com.