WATER LILY

Japanese schoolteacher Runa Wada and English art-supplies dealer Ralph Turnpike couldn’t be more different. Convinced she’ll never marry, beautiful, unfocused Runa has an affair with a student that’s bound to end badly; even though they meet in down-at-the-heels karaoke bars like the Octopus, someone will surely discover their illicit romance. Homely, persistent Ralph, on the other hand, is confident he’ll find a bride. That’s why he’s left his four-bedroom cottage in Carlisle, near the Lake County, and come all the way to Mr. K’s Tokyo agency, where the “Eastern Blossoms” brochure assures him that “the Asian lady is gentle and caring. She understands her role as the nurturer and will give you love and support without question.” No matter that his Thai first wife mocked and shunned him before abruptly disappearing; Ralph is certain that he’ll fare better in Japan. It isn’t until he’s rejected by all the ladies on Mr. K’s lists that he decides he might prefer a Chinese blossom, and sets off to meet Li Hua, whose picture makes her look a little like a man but whose ardent letter persuades him to brave seasickness on a ferry to Shanghai. There, he encounters Runa, who’s stolen her sister Nanao’s passport and fled the scandal that’s finally erupted. As East meets West, the travelers are drawn together by desperation into a bond that can only end in violence.

Though her characters are compelling, Britisher Jones sets them adrift in a plot that just doesn’t pack the wallop of her debut, The Earthquake Bird (2001).