Chorus of Mushrooms

This is the story of a family of Japanese immigrants to Canada, told primarily by Muriel/Murasaki.

Muriel's mother, Keiko, tried to assimilate into Canadian society and culture, never even cooking traditional Japanese meals or speaking the language. The grandmother, Naoe, can speak English, but chooses not to. She keeps tradition alive in the fairy tales and myths she relates to Muriel.

The novel is a testament to the power of stories and the human need to tell and hear them. This is not a book about what happens so much as an expression of feelings and desires. At times, it really drew me in (especially Part III) but at other times it seemed disjointed. And Naoe's story is highly improbable....if it's true....it may be another fairy show more tale added to the family lore.

While reading this book, I noticed that it is the only book by/about Japanese Canadians I've read that isn't about the detention of Japanese Canadians during WWII. In this way, it broadened my knowledge of that culture. show less

Storia di una famiglia di immigrati giapponesi in Canada raccontata dalla giovane Muriel (ribattezzata Murasaki) attraverso il ricordo delle fiabe che ascoltava dalla nonna.
È un romanzo dalla struttura complessa, che si articola su diversi piani narrativi e racconta l’esperienza della migrazione attraverso tre voci che s’interrogano, si trasformano, s’intrecciano a comporre una saga al femminile ricca di poesia e d’amore per la parola. La scelta lessicale accuratissima e sempre esplicitamente sottolineata dalla voce narrante principale, quella della giovane Murasaki, è dettata dall’esigenza di conferire dignità letteraria alle fiabe giapponesi tramandate oralmente dalla nonna Naoe, e nello stesso tempo di lasciar percepire show more la musicalità della parola. show less

A pondering and poetic exploration of the lives of three generations of Japanese women whose family has immigrated to western Canada. This novel explores both the challenges and rewards of preserving your culture while living in a foreign environment.

It may not even be fair of me to rate this book since I didn't finish it. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time, but I didn't like the characters or the style of writing. I usually hate to leave a book unfinished, but this one just couldn't hold me.