Elizabeth+-+Shizuko's+Daughter

Shizuko's Daughter  Kyoko Mori

" //You will no doubt get over this and be a brilliant woman //, her mother had written. //Don't let me stop or delay you //. I'll never get over it, Mama, Yuki thought" (Mori 17).

Kyoko Mori (1957 - Present)

Kyoko Mori is a writer born in Kobe, Japan. She began to write at a young age, in Japanese and English, taking after her mother and grandfather. At the age of twelve, her mother committed suicide. Her father often abused her, including her stepmother who her father married a year after her mother's death. At sixteen, she moved to the United States for school. She received her bachelor's degree from Rockford College. At the University of Wisconsin, she received her master's and Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing. Her young adult novel, __Shizuko's Daughter__, was her first. She has also written __Fallout__ (a poetry book), __The Dream of Water__ (a memoir), __One Bird__ (a young adult novel), __Polite Lies__ (a collection of essays), and __Stone Field, True Arrow__ (an adult novel).

Plot Synopsis

The story opens with Shizuko thinking about the village she grew up in, until her daughter, Yuki, calls telling her that she will be coming home late. She ends the call saying "Be good. You know I love you" (Mori 4). She walks around the house, looking at the sewing projects that would be left unfinished, she knew. She wrote a note for her husband, Hideki, ending her note with "I am almost happy at this last hour and wish you to be" (Mori 5). She then writes to her daughter, saying "In spite of this, please believe that I love you" (Mori 6). She set the notes down in the kitchen, closed the door, and turned on the gas. Thinking of what she wrote to her husband, she grabs the note she left for him and rips it up before she died.   A year later, Yuki is with the woman who her father was marrying, saying that there should be no hard feelings between them. Feeling uncomfortable, she runs out of the room. During the ceremony, when the sake bowl is being passed around, she drops it on purpose, symbolizing the breaking of the rice bowl at her mother's funeral so that her ghost would not haunt the house. When she moves back in with her father and his new wife, Hanae, they are closed off to her and do not interact with her. She sees that Hanae has gotten rid of her mother's ceramic plates.

Yuki is a part of her school's track team, which keeps her busy so she does not have to be home. Her father and stepmother never came to her meets and she knew that the other families felt bad for her, which embarrassed her. While at a meet, she sees a girl named Sachiko Murai, who was an amazing hurdler. When she wins her event, Yuki meets her and they agree to go running on Sundays throughout summer break. When it is time to go back to school, Sachiko says that she is not going to be in cross-country anymore because she got a big part in her school's play. Yuki asks indirectly if they could still get together, but she says that she would be too busy. She tells Yuki she will see her around, but Yuki knows that they will never see each other again. After Sachiko leaves, she begins to think about the time she was invited to her house. They asked about her family and her mother. She left the house without telling them what happened to her. She thought about what she should have done while walking back home.

The story continues through Yuki's high school years. She is finally allowed to visit her grandparents on the third year anniversary of her mother's death. At home, tensions were high between her and her stepmother, Hanae. When she is throwing away Yuki's old clothes, she is stopped by her. As they fight, Hanae pushes Yuki down the steps, injuring her ankle. Hanae tells her husband it was Yuki's fault and goes into the kitchen. She then smashes Yuki's mother's tea set on the ground.

Ever since her mother's death, Yuki has been trying to get through life alone. Her father has always been distant and her stepmother does not like her. She can only confide in her mother's family, who she has not been allowed to see unless it was a special occasion. This book tells the story of her life from twelve years old until her college years. During this time, she must accept her mother's death and move on so that she could be happy.

Main Characters


 * Yuki Okuda - She is the protagonist of the story. She is a young, independent girl who does not conform to the traditional way of living. She does well is school and is very artistic. She feels hurt from the lack of support from her father and the death of her mother. She usually hides her emotions.
 * Hideki Okuda - He is Yuki's father, though he never acts like one. He never supported her and was often quiet and closed off.
 * Hanae Okuda - She is Yuki's stepmother. She was Hideki's coworker and was having an affair with him during his marriage to Shizuko. Throughout the story, she is often upset, jealous, and worried over what people thought of her. She did not like Yuki and often scolded her for being honest and blunt to her. She also did not like Shizuko and tried to get rid of all of the things she left behind.
 * Masa - She is Yuki's grandmother. She is very kind towards her granddaughter, even when she is upset with her. Though Yuki is not allowed to see her often, they remain close.
 * <span style="color: rgb(207, 68, 68);">Shizuko Okuda - Like her daughter, she was independent and nonconforming. She ends up committing suicide because of her depression, caused by many things. She knew that her husband was having an affair, but did not do anything about it because she was afraid she could lose custody of her daughter. She rids of her life thinking it is better for everyone, especially Yuki.

<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(207, 68, 68);">Criticism

__<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shizuko's Daughter __<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is a story about growing up and living through a devastating experience. This book belongs on the "Outstanding Books" list because it is a relatable and interesting story. The way Mori writes it shows the reader clearly the feelings of all of the characters from Yuki's heartbrokenness to Hanae's jealously of Shizuko. The accurate telling of Japanese culture also adds to the book as well. It also includes a glossary for people unfamiliar with the culture.

One thing that could be changed is the point of view. Though the third person allows the author to go into more detail with the minor characters, the reader does not seem to get a full account of the main character's feelings, at least in this book. Another thing that could be changed is the ending. It did not seem as interesting as the rest of the book, but was still satisfying.

<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(207, 68, 68);">Cited

Mori, Kyoko. __Shizuko's Daughter__. Ballantine Books. June 1994. "Shizuko's Daughter (Characters)". __Answers.com__. 2009. 26 Mar. 2009. [] <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Kyoko Mori". __<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Infoplease __<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. 2007. 11 Mar. 2009. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[|http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0880759.html] <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> "Kyoko Mori". __<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency, Inc. __<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 11 Mar. 2009. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[]