The Japanese Lover
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The Japanese Lover
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Narrated by:
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Joanna Gleason
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By:
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Isabel Allende
About this listen
From New York Times and internationally best-selling author Isabel Allende, an exquisitely crafted love story and multigenerational epic that sweeps from San Francisco in the present day to Poland and the United States during the Second World War.
In 1939, as Poland falls under the shadow of the Nazis, young Alma Belasco's parents send her away to live in safety with an aunt and uncle in their opulent mansion in San Francisco. There, as the rest of the world goes to war, she encounters Ichimei Fukuda, the quiet and gentle son of the family's Japanese gardener. Unnoticed by those around them, a tender love affair begins to blossom. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the two are cruelly pulled apart as Ichimei and his family - like thousands of other Japanese Americans - are declared enemies and forcibly relocated to internment camps run by the United States government. Throughout their lifetimes, Alma and Ichimei reunite again and again, but theirs is a love that they are forever forced to hide from the world.
Decades later, Alma is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. Irina Bazili, a care worker struggling to come to terms with her own troubled past, meets the elderly woman and her grandson, Seth, at San Francisco's charmingly eccentric Lark House nursing home. As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this extraordinary secret passion that has endured for nearly 70 years.
Sweeping through time and spanning generations and continents, The Japanese Lover explores questions of identity, abandonment, redemption, and the unknowable impact of fate on our lives. Written with the same attention to historical detail and keen understanding of her characters that Isabel Allende has been known for since her landmark first novel The House of the Spirits, The Japanese Lover is a profoundly moving tribute to the constancy of the human heart in a world of unceasing change.
©2015 Isabel Allende (P)2015 Simon & SchusterWhat listeners say about The Japanese Lover
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hayley
- 15-05-2024
Absolutely beautiful
I loved this. A gentle meander through time, love and so much more. Above all I appreciated the kindness and care in the characters. Recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julia Lever
- 07-01-2018
My travel companion
This book was delightful.
Isabel Allende never fails to provide a enjoyable experience.
Her understanding of human nature is amazing, and her ability to express it is rare.
I was spellbound.
Julia Lever
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Tanya Heywood
- 20-05-2019
A beautiful love story
Allende is a master storyteller. She weaves tales of quirky characters intertwined by love in a poetic and flowing manner. She includes elements of history and humanity with hints of magic and romanticism. This was a beautiful, beautiful love story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jo Casey
- 17-11-2018
lovely nastalgic story
Isabelle Allende is my favorite writer. I believe Ive read everything even her cook book.
This story was very sweet and full of history. The family somehow seemed like my own. The writing draws you in to such an intimate space I felt akin to each and every character.
Everytime I read one of Allendes books theres always some common thread that connects me to the book. My own father died 4 weeks ago. I celebrated his life alone because I live in a separate country from my family. This story melted my heart at times. I adored it. Thanks Isabelle once again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-10-2023
A book of history , love and adult complexity
Beautifully written with depth and clarity and celebration of both the simplicity and complexity of life and love community and expectation
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robbie
- 20-07-2017
Fabulous
A beautiful story which was beautifully written and beautifully read. I just loved this book
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-08-2022
Great book.
I loved this. Allende has a way of winding a story around you, wrapping you in its words. Laugh out loud hilarity and tender heartbreaking moments. A story of tragedy, truth and aging disgracefully . Beautifully performed
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 13-08-2023
insensitive toxic narrative wrapped up as romance
Considering this is a book about some weighty and powerful topics, including healing from trauma, one would have hoped the very significant flaws of the key characters & their relationships would have been approached with the sensitivity, critical interogation and insight that I've seen in Allende's other books. Instead, one is immersed in the patronising Eurocentric pseudo liberal racist and classist ignorance of the "noble and benevolent" priviledged characters who "save" the Japanese and Romanian characters by entwining them in toxic, gaslighty relationships. I got 3/4 through the book and had to give up because I was disgusted by the toxicity. Anyone with a trauma history should be very mindful in reading this book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-11-2018
Will need to listen again kept falling asleep due to monotone voice.
Will need to listen again kept falling asleep due to monotone voice.
Interesting revelations kept until the end!
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