LYNNE KUTSUKAKE is a novelist and short story writer. Her debut novel, The Translation of Love, won the Canada-Japan Literary Award and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. A third-generation Japanese Canadian, she has a master's degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto and studied Japanese literature in Japan on a Monbusho Scholarship. Fluent in Japanese, she has translated a short story collection, Single Sickness and Other Stories, by Mizuko Masuda. She has a degree in library and information science and for many years worked as a Japanese Studies librarian at the University of Toronto.
WINNER of the 2017 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize
WINNER of the 2016 Canada-Japan Literary Award
“A good book always leaves you wondering about the fate of its
characters, which is exactly what The Translation of Love
does.” —2016 Canada-Japan Literary Awards jury
“The Translation of Love is a rarity: a haunting mystery that
is also a moving coming-of-age story. A young woman disappears
in the midst of the American occupation of Tokyo after the Second
World War, and her younger sister tries desperately to find her.
Lynne Kutsukake has written a remarkable, beautiful first novel.”
—Chris Bohjalian, author of The Guest Room and Close
Your Eyes, Hold Hands
“Lynne Kutsukake paints a vivid portrait of the American Occupation
of Japan in The Translation of Love and keenly tackles the layered
complexities of national identities in flux: Japanese, Canadian,
and American. At the heart of this book is a young girl’s
page-turning quest to find her missing sister, and a touching,
masterfully woven tale of bystanders who cannot look away.”
—Suzanne Rindell, author of The Other Typist
“The Translation of Love is a sweepingly gorgeous book about
post-war Japan, a shattered country trying to piece itself back
together. It begins with a letter passed to General MacArthur by
two little girls, and ends with a heart-stopping search for a lost
sister in the underbelly of Tokyo. From the desperate clutch of
friendship in the time of tumult, to the bustling night markets and
brothels—every brutal, moving moment is beautifully wrought in
Lynne Kutsukake’s expert hands. An incredible debut.” —Lisa
Gabriele, author of Tempting Faith DiNapoli, The Almost Archer
Sisters, and the S.E.C.R.E.T. series under L. Marie Adeline
“An evocative and compelling tale of friendship, family and a
country in transition. Lynne Kutsukake’s novel is an elegantly
crafted reminder that no one is left untouched by the ripple
effects of war, and that our quests for outside truths can often
lead us to secrets we’ve been keeping from ourselves.” —Sarah Bird,
author of Above the East China Sea and The Yokota Officers Club
“Through several different voices, The Translation of
Love takes the reader into the centre of post-war
Tokyo. But it is the story of the reluctant friendship between
thirteen-year old Japanese-Canadian Aya (who has been
repatriated to Japan with her father) and her willful Japanese
schoolmate, Fumi, that forms the nucleus of this moving
book. In clear, confident prose, Lynne Kutsukake examines the
lives of people who have been affected by the horrors of war and
who must now navigate a new world order. In doing so, she explores
the complexities of the human heart and the universal need to
belong. This first novel is a must-read, a strong and
impressive debut.” —Judy Fong Bates, author of Midnight at
the Dragon Café
“This stunning novel showcases Kutsukake’s soaring talent. Moving
from the gorgeously epic to the unflinchingly intimate, The
Translation of Love takes us to the emotional core of Occupied
Japan. It captures the strange, liminal time between destruction
and recovery, and the uttermost vulnerability of those carrying on
in the rubble of uncertainty and loss. I was especially moved by
the way Kutsukake portrayed the tenacity of childhood and its
attunement to the apprehensions and pleasures of life. This
beautiful and mesmerizing book will be a special treat for anyone
who loves dramatic history and ingenious storytelling.” —Kyo
Maclear, author of The Letter Opener
“Lynne Kutsukake is a beautiful writer. The Translation of Love is
shaped by her spare and elegant prose into an accomplished and
powerful story.” —Helen Humphreys, author of Coventry
“An exquisitely crafted tale of war’s survivors that shimmers with
grace, wisdom and compassion. It compels the reader right up to its
gorgeous and deeply humane conclusion.” —Kerri Sakamoto, author of
The Electrical Field
“Lynne Kutsukake’s remarkable debut spans the emotional terrain
between identity and loyalty, love and loss, victory and defeat.
The Translation of Love resonates with vivid images of post-war
Japan and the universal urge to build a new life atop the wreckage
of the old. This is a bold, beautiful book.” —Brian Payton,
author of The Wind Is Not a River
“Kutsukake skillfully weaves these characters’ varied perspectives
together to create a vivid and memorable account of ordinary people
struggling to recover from the devastations of war.” —Booklist
(starred review)
“Through an elegant web of interconnected storylines, Kutsukake's
absorbing debut brings American-occupied postwar Tokyo to life. . .
. Emotionally rich without turning saccharine, twisting without
losing its grounding in reality, Kutsukake’s novel is classic
historical fiction at its best. A vivid delight chronicling a
fascinating—and little-discussed—chapter in world history.” —Kirkus
Reviews (starred review)
“[A] moving debut. . . . Kutsukake’s story is consistently
engaging. . . . The result is a memorable story of hope and
loneliness with a cathartic ending.” —Publishers Weekly
“The Translation of Love is a marvellous tale, poignant and
passionately written, sometimes as gripping as a thriller, that
opens the door to a world seldom depicted. It is the touching,
heartwarming story of a young girl’s search to find her lost sister
in the ruins of post-war Tokyo. Along the way Lynne Kutsukake
introduces us to a rich cast of enthralling characters, all in
their different ways struggling to survive when they have lost
everything. It is also about language—the power of words to bridge
or divide cultures. And over it all strides the inscrutable figure
of General MacArthur, like a modern-day pharaoh. I was gripped and
enthralled by this beautifully written novel.” —Lesley Downer,
author of The Last Concubine
“The Translation of Love is as haunting as it is beautiful. . . .
[A] story as much about pride and dignity in the face of oppression
and humiliation as it is about the dark effects of discrimination,
poverty and war.” —New Canadian Media
“[A] moving tale. . . . [A]n epic tale of defeat, despair and
redemption. . . . Kutsukake artfully paints a picture of a country
haunted by trauma, but nevertheless moving forward and learning to
find joy in life once again. . . . [R]ichly researched and deeply
moving—a beautiful debut.” —Tara Henley, Toronto Star
“[A] moving debut. . . . Kutsukake’s story is consistently
engaging. . . . The result is a memorable story of hope and
loneliness with a cathartic ending.” —Publishers Weekly
“Lynne Kutsukake, a third-generation Japanese-Canadian and
first-time novelist, conjures the voices of this agonized time with
graceful simplicity. . . . The story is satisfying but secondary to
the mood: the quiet ache of loss.” —Janice P. Nimura, The New York
Times Book Review
“[E]vocative. [The Translation of Love] is an eloquent, moving
debut.” —The Japan Times
“Lynne Kutsukake skillfully constructs her first novel. . . .
Kutsukake is an accomplished writer, adroitly handing the dark
effects of discrimination, hunger, poverty, and disease after the
war. . . . [The Translation of Love] is an engaging and compelling
read.” —Todd Shimoda, Asian Review of Books
“Moving. . . . [R]iveting.” —The Tribune (India)
“In Lynne Kutsukake’s dazzling debut, The Translation of Love,
readers follow the intertwining stories of several characters, each
more unforgettable than the last, in post-World War II Japan, a
country still buried in the wreckage of violence and war. At once
an intriguing mystery about a missing girl, and a coming-of-age
tale of another girl desperate to find her, The Translation of
Love tells a commanding story about identity, redemption, and
healing that’s not to be missed.” —Bustle
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