Fault Lines: A Novel

This is a cute and sensitively amusing short novel with with plenty of laugh-out loud moments. I really enjoyed Emily Itami’s writing style which is fresh, exciting and poetic. The Tokyo setting was very refreshing with plenty of interesting insights into Japanese culture, and how hard it is for foreigners to infiltrate them.

At the heart of this novel is the exploration of the “what if…” moments in a housewife’s day. So many hours are spent going through the motions of being a full-time parent and homemaker, easily losing sight of one’s personal identity and relationship with one’s spouse. Itami portrays this daily battle through her main character, Mizuki, and the struggle she faces in balancing her deep love for her children, her loyalty of her husband and Japanese culture, and the secret desires of her heart.

Fault lines is brilliantly read by Lydia Wilson, although I did feel that her British accent was a little out of place and a Japanese-American one might have been more suited to the plot.