Henry Holt 1993
Japan: Kadokawa Shoten
Korea: BookNet/Woongjin Think Big
Awards
New York Times Notable Book, 1993
American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, 1996
Anne Power Book-Length Fiction Award, The Wisconsin Council of Writers, 1993
Bulletin Blue Ribbon, 1993
The Elizabeth Burr Award, 1994
Horn Book Fanfare, 1994
Finalist, Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee, 1996
Finalist, South Carolina Young Adult Book Award, 1995-1996
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Shizuko's Daughter
Yuki Okuda knows her mother would be proud of her grades and her achievements in sports if she were alive. But she committed suicide. And Yuki has to learn how to live with a father who doesn't seem to love her and a stepmother who treats her badly. Most important, she has to learn how to live with herself: a twelve-year-old Japanese girl growing up alone, trying to make sense of a tragedy that makes no sense at all.
New York Times:
Kyoko Mori’s first novel, Shizuko's Daughter, is a jewel of a book, one of those rarities that shine out only a few times in a generation ... A work of art.
Horn Book (starred review):
Mori paints beautiful pictures with words, creating visual images that can be as haunting and elliptical as poetry. A stunning first novel.
Booklist:
Poetically crafted prose that is ultimately affirming ... Mori has a fine eye for details that illuminate temperament and motivation, and her characters, especially Yuki, are well-realized and clearly drawn.
Bulletin for the Center of the Study of Children's Books:
[A] narrative voice that subtly translates aesthetic observations into readers' experiences ... a powerfully understated story.
Parentsmagazine:
This first novel -- perhaps the finest of its kind in decades -- is young-adult literature that erases all boundaries. An exquisite coming-of-age novel in the tradition of To Kill A Mockingbird and Member of the Wedding.
Publisher's Weekly (starred review):
An emotionally and culturally rich tale tracing the evoltuion of despair into hope.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review):
A lyrical first novel with the intensity of remembered grief ... a beautifully written book ... Yuki is unforgettable. A splendid debut.