How to Be an American Housewife

How To Be an American Housewife
Author	Margaret Dilloway
Language	English
Genre	Chick lit Fiction
Publisher	G. P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date	2010
Publication place	United States
ISBN	978-0399156373

How To Be An American Housewife is a 2010 novel by Margaret Dilloway. It is based on the experiences of Dilloway's mother, who was a Japanese war bride.^[1]^[2]

Synopsis

The book tells the story of Shoko Morgan, a mother of two and wife to American GI Charlie. Shoko decided to contact her brother Taro, whom she last saw when she married Charlie at the end of World War II. However, she is too ill to return her country. Shoko asked her daughter Sue and granddaughter to go to Japan to find her uncle to discover her mother's life secret.

Characters

Shoko Morgan - A Japanese Woman who married American GI, with whom she had 2 children
Suiko (Sue) Morgan - Shoko's and Charlie's daughter and sister to Mike and niece to Taro
Charlie Morgan - Shoko's husband and Mike's and Sue's father is an Irish-American GI who is kindhearted yet shy
Mike Morgan - Shoko's and Charlie's son and older brother of Sue
Taro - Shoko's younger brother and uncle to Sue and Mike, who hates Americans, retired from being a school principal
Mille Morgan - Charlie's mother, who become Shoko's mother in law and grandmother to Mike and Sue
Nanny - a babysitter whom Shoko disliked as a child
Craig - Sue's ex-husband and Helena's father, who married her at age of 20
Suki - Taro's and Shoko's sister.
Ronin - an Eta whom Shoko fell in love with, born to an English father and Japanese mother. He and Shoko were lovers. He was killed by Tetsuo
Tetsuo - Taro's childhood friend, who was engaged to Shoko until he cheated on her with her friend Yuki.
Toyoko - Japanese wife of black soldier
Jim - Toyoko's husband
Kyle Leonard - An American general who met Shoko
Lorraine- A neighbor of Charlie and Shoko
Dr Cunningham - Shoko's doctor
Helena - Sue's and Craig's 13-year-old daughter
Dr Su : Shoko's doctor is a Chinese-American
Toshiro : A Japanese traveler who met Sue and Helena
Yasuo Takana - Suki's son is a teacher at Ukei High School who met his cousin Sue
Hiroshi - Yasuo's lover
Sumiko - Taro's granddaughter, who met Sue and Helena
Taro-chan- Sumiko's four-year-old son, who shared his name with his great-grandfather

Awards

The book was a John Gardner Fiction Award Finalist in 2011.^[3]

References

^ Newman, Judith (2010-08-23). "Picks and Pans Main: Books". People.com. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
^ Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC (2011-08-02). "How to Be an American Housewife". IndieBound. Retrieved 2012-05-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY JOHN GARDNER FICTION BOOK AWARD". Binghamton University. Binghamton Center for Writers. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2013.

External links

[1] Newman, Judith (2010-08-23). "Picks and Pans Main: Books". People.com. Retrieved 2012-05-31.

[2] Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC (2011-08-02). "How to Be an American Housewife". IndieBound. Retrieved 2012-05-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[3] "THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY JOHN GARDNER FICTION BOOK AWARD". Binghamton University. Binghamton Center for Writers. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2013.

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