Mika in Real Life

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high school senior Izumi Tanaka is a normal 18-year-old American girl: she enjoys baking, watching Real Housewives, and dressing like “Lululemon’s sloppy sister.

I loved this aspect of the book so much, as well as the diversity – as well as being of mixed heritage, Hana is an ASL interpreter for rock bands (how cool? I hope readers will find whatever they’re looking for within the pages, whether it’s a story about love or a deeper story about healing from trauma. In this episode, we hear Jean in conversation with WBUR's Celeste Headlee about the book, in which a teen girl – Penny – tries to connect with her birth mother Mika.In addition to parent / child relationships and love in its different manifestations, the story also explores topics such as adoption, race and identity, interracial relationships, cultural expectations vs societal conventions, etc. Mika in Real Life is a poignant coming-of-age story that deals with race, adoption, and bodily autonomy, and it seems readers couldn’t get enough.

She has been single for a year, her last relationship ending in a fiery dispute with no solid resolution.Perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle and Jojo Moyes, Mika in Real Life is at once a heart-wrenching and uplifting novel that explores the weight of silence, the secrets we keep, and what it means to be a mother. This book tackles complex situations - Mika is contacted by Penny, the daughter she put up for adoption sixteen years before. Now if only Mika can navigate the complex waters she’s found herself in, and not get caught in her lies. I am so appreciative to publisher William Morrow Books for allowing me to read and review this book and I highly recommend adding to your end of summer reading list.

To me, the romance between Mika and Penny’s adoptive father was forced, not to mention a bit creepy and off-putting. The daughter of strict, traditional Japanese parents, she has never really lived up to anyone’s expectations, least of all her own.KT: ​​Speaking of mothers, I thought one of the most resonant moments of your novel was the line about how mothers often look to their daughters as a do-over opportunity to achieve everything they couldn’t. Her career is a revolving door of horrible jobs, her parents are disappointed in every choice she’s ever made, and not to mention, her car is on its last legs. Wonderfully written and compelling, Emiko Jean perfectly captures the essence of the parent and child bond; the intensity, fear, sacrifice, constant change, grief and inadequacy you feel as a part of your heart walks around outside your body.