My Mind Found a Story In Losing Kei

The Review:

Title: Losing Kei, A Novel

Author: Suzanne Kamata

Author’s Website: http://suzannekamata.com/

Publisher: LeapFrog Press

Publisher’s Website: http://www.leapfrogpress.com/

Total Pages (Paperback): 193

Type: Fiction

ISBN #: 978-0-9728984-9-2

As I mentioned before Anna’s review was superb. If you’d like to read the details about the story-line, I think you should click on over to her review (Click Here).

What I’d like to focus on in my review are the parts of the story that I most enjoyed. Jill, described as looking like Andie McDowell, is our heroine. She is totally crushed by her first love, Phillip just after graduating college. She had planned to accompany him to Africa and live a life as a photographer and artist there with him. She imagined a life as his wife. Instead, he unexpectantly breaks her heart and she ends up moving to Japan. Well into her life’s story in Japan, Phillip connects with Jill via a letter that he sent to Jill’s mother in the United States. By this time, Jill is married to Yusuke and has given birth to Kei, but is in a very unhappy marriage. Jill’s Mom forwards the letter to her in Japan. Phillip’s letter was written with such diplomacy and is almost overplaying the “friend card,” if you know what I mean. In any event, the letter (amongst other things) got Jill thinking about her life and the lack of quality and happiness within it. It is soon thereafter that Jill, with Kei, leaves her husband.

The book explains, in detail, the terms of Yusuke’s power and wealth. Due to this, and his emotional fear of his mother (no better way to describe it, in my opinion), he swiftly regains physical possession of Kei and refuses to release any rights to Jill. Apparently, in Japan, there is no such thing as joint custody… it belongs to one parent only. With Yusuke’s Japanese nationality and his social status, he has no trouble winning custody. Jill’s lawyer simply tells her, “it’s not against the law to kidnap your own child in Japan.” What? That’s craziness!

From that point in the story, I loved the tale of Jill’s visit with Phillip in Indonesia. I have been in a similar circumstance… on a dream-world escape with the love of my life with no regard for outcome. Like Jill, my only thoughts were wrapped in the encasing of the rapture of a once full and true love. The visual picture that Kamata creates in this story is so vivid, so colorful, and so bare. I have lived this story, with different surroundings. This part of the novel tugged at my heart.

Don’t misunderstand my review… this book is not about reclaiming a lost love or an old dream.  Conversely, it is about capturing the dream that makes you happy.  This book is about love and truth.  This book is about the love that we have for our child(ren).  This story takes the reader with Jill from her graduation from college, through her move to Japan, exploring her job and her passion for art.  We learn about the people she comes close to, including the women she works with and the family that she eventually becomes a part of.  Again, my review is highlighting one of the many parts of the novel that I so enjoyed. 

I enjoyed the character, Eric. This wanderlust, and who I’m guessing is either a Pieces or Gemini, is a sexy surfer-man who is free, raw, and an untamed man that, unlike Jill, I wouldn’t have been just friends with. I definitely would have gone the other way! I can’t say “no” to those type of men. But, Jill’s decision to remain friends with Eric supplies the reader with lots of stories and updates on Eric, a character that I believe every reader can relate to and who is one enjoyable color in this quilt of characters.

Oh, and Suzanne Kamata… just know that when I read this story, I wanted a “lunchbox” so much!

On Sheri’s “One Out of Ten” Scale:

This is my favorite genre of book.. FICTION. I love stories, especially one that I actually meet new characters in. Suzanna Kamata ensured that I met hers and kept my full attention at every opportunity I had to read. OK… so, this one is getting a 9.8!  Seriously, buy it! Read it!

But, Sheri… Can I Win It?

Oh, so glad you asked! As a matter of fact…. (drum roll, please)…. YES!

Suzanne Kamata has graciously agreed to award a SIGNED COPY of this wonderful book to one of my A Novel Menagerie Winners. I immediately asked after I finished the book. But, if you win this book, I want to ensure that you are a book review blogger and that I get to read your review… so this contest is only open to book reviewers/bloggers who sign away their life in blood promising me a review! Sorry for being selfish on this one… but, I want to read other’s opinions on this book. So far, I’m with Anna… but I’d love to know what you think! Wow… I’m being bratty on this one, huh? (O.K…. so you know you don’t have to sign your life away… but, you get what I mean? See? If I was in a book club, I would do this book for a book club read so that I would get that instant gratification of the thoughts of many on the book. Does anybody have one that I can join the in O.C. Area?)

Back to the contest:

If you are a bonafide book review blogger, or published book reviewer of any kind that I can read your review, you can enter. All you need to do is submit your name below. If you mention my review or this contest on your website, you will get a triple entry (but, I need the link). The winner will be chosen, at random, from a computer generated number picker. Contest starts: NOW! Contest Ends: Sunday, November 16th, 2008.

Sheri, I never win contests… Where shall I buy it?

Amazon.Com has the best price right now! Here is the link…