Fifty Words for Rain

More about the book

From debut author Asha Lemmie comes a sweeping, heartrending coming-of-age novel set in post-World War II Japan. In Kyoto, 1948, eight-year-old Noriko "Nori" Kamiza learns to accept her harsh reality: abandoned by her mother with only a few words, confined to her grandparents' attic, and subjected to painful chemical baths to lighten her skin. As the biracial daughter of a Japanese aristocrat and an African American GI, Nori is an outsider from birth. Her grandparents, fearing a stain on their royal lineage, hide her away, and she obediently endures her solitary existence, despite her natural curiosity and intellect. Everything changes when her older half-brother Akira arrives at the estate, bringing hope and an unexpected bond that defies their grandparents' wishes. This connection awakens Nori's desire for acceptance and belonging in a world that seems to have no place for her. Determined to fight for her identity and place in society, Nori embarks on a journey that could cost her everything. Spanning decades and continents, this epic tale explores the ties that bind us, the strength found in connection, and the pursuit of freedom.