PRO CONNECT
Writer and Producer, Cable News Network (CNN) for 25 years
Former foreign correspondent in Asia for 11 years
Chief Asia Correspondent, Cox Newspapers (owner of Atlanta-Journal Constitution among others) based in Tokyo
Editor and correspondent with United Press International (UPI) in Hong Kong
UPI bureau chief New Delhi, India
MA degree in history from University of Tennessee
BA degree in history from Hampden-Sydney College
Long distance runner, completed 7 full marathons
“The author’s command of the historical period is masterful, and he powerfully depicts the consequences of military loss as well as victory... Miller’s nuanced rendering of the moral complexities of the occupation is compelling, as when the United States and Japanese governments cooperatively supply American troops with sex workers—mainly to prevent instances of rape... An exceedingly intelligent exploration of World War II–era Japan... --Kirkus Reviews”
– Kirkus Reviews
In Miller’s debut historical novel, an American soldier stationed in Japan in the last days of World War II begins an illicit romance with a Japanese woman.
Lt. Richard Jackson joined the Navy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, less out of patriotic ardor than to be freed from Tennessee, where he spent his childhood. In 1945, before the United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan is a “severely wounded tiger backed into a corner,” according to the novel’s third-person narrator—a country left in physical and moral ruin. Richard is appointed to Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s staff and finds unsettling the general’s sense of having a “divine mission ordained by God to liberate the Japanese from their feudal past and lead them to the promised land of democracy!” In Kyoto, Richard meets Emiko Murakami, a teacher of American history and literature who’s in a joyless, arranged marriage with a “haughty” and “condescending” husband. Richard and Emiko fall in love with implausible alacrity, as portrayed by the author, but their union seems doomed from the start, as it’s clear that their relationship won’t be accepted by those around them. As Miller chronicles their romantic struggles, he also astutely captures the burden of a disgraced nation now under the governorship of a people it deeply distrusts and fears. The author’s command of the historical period is masterful, and he powerfully depicts the consequences of military loss as well as victory. However, the connection between Richard and Emiko never feels authentic, partly because their dialogue feels canned and mechanical: “ ‘Well, do you have a new lover in Japan?’ Emiko said teasingly. ‘Well, in fact I do.’ He paused. ‘And I’m sitting right next to her.’ ” Nevertheless, Miller’s nuanced rendering of the moral complexities of the occupation is compelling, as when the United States and Japanese governments cooperatively supply American troops with sex workers—mainly to prevent instances of rape, MacArthur explains.
An exceedingly intelligent exploration of World War II–era Japan but one that’s hampered by an unconvincing romance.
Pub Date: July 22, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-72755-650-6
Page count: 255pp
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2019
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.