Pat D. (pat0814) reviewed on 6/6/2012 + 379 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

This is a fascinating look into the life of Haruko, who marries the Crown Prince of Japan and suffers the consequences of living in a world "constituted entirely of surface" where the "soul is put on a hard diet." The requirements of this world eventually erode the person she was and could have been; she is harshly judged and has no preparation for a life with such strictures. In middle age, she eventually convinces a wary woman to marry her son and live the same life that she had lived. The prose is somewhat flowery, but the storyline is well developed and flows easily. It is probably reminescent of biographies about Princess Diana and the very steep learning curve of someone new to royalty.

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