Woman Running in the Mountains Hardcover – March 6, 1991
This is the contemporary story of Takiko, a pregnant, unmarried young Japanese woman at war with convention. Though Takiko's pregnancy has brought shame to her family, she refuses to have an abortion; yet she must continue to live at home for lack of money. While her mother labors to support the household, Takiko has fistfights with her violent, alcoholic father. She bears a son and, in the course of caring for him, learns to love. Inspired by that love, she courageously finds a path to adulthood.
Tsushima brings to life in this novel a new phenomenon in today's Japan: the woman on her own. The theme has special urgency for Japanese culture, while touching universal concerns; and the result for this novel is two coming-of-age stories intertwined: the literal chronological coming of age of the young heroine; and also the total coming of age of Japanese womanhood. It is a powerful mixture, and shows why Tsushima is now Japan's most important woman writer.
This is the contemporary story of Takiko, a pregnant, unmarried young Japanese woman at war with convention. Though Takiko's pregnancy has brought shame to her family, she refuses to have an abortion; yet she must continue to live at home for lack of money. While her mother labors to support the household, Takiko has fistfights with her violent, alcoholic father. She bears a son and, in the course of caring for him, learns to love. Inspired by that love, she courageously finds a path to adulthood.
Tsushima brings to life in this novel a new phenomenon in today's Japan: the woman on her own. The theme has special urgency for Japanese culture, while touching universal concerns; and the result for this novel is two coming-of-age stories intertwined: the literal chronological coming of age of the young heroine; and also the total coming of age of Japanese womanhood. It is a powerful mixture, and shows why Tsushima is now Japan's most important woman writer.