A review by tobyyy
How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway
3.0
I will admit, I did read some of the other reviews that people have posted of How to Be an American Housewife prior to writing this review.
I think if you go into this book expecting it to be exciting or suspenseful, then you're going to be disappointed. For me, it was a break from the constant tension innate in the other books that I'm currently reading.
The main thing that made no sense to me was how Shoko still spoke in broken Pidgin English after spending 40+ years in America, with an American husband, raising two children who speak perfectly fine English. I mean, I guess there are people like that...? but it did require me to suspend my disbelief -- especially when Suiko's relatives in Japan spoke flawless English.
I liked the discussion of Nagasaki/Hiroshima and how it affected the people living within the radiation's radius. However, when Suiko says that Nagasaki was "always something that interested her" (paraphrasing) -- that made no sense. Um, okay, but we've only just heard about your interest right now, as you are walking into the park that was created around the site of the explosion in Nagasaki?...
Overall, for me, this was a quiet, relaxing read. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on what I disliked about it since I wasn't planning on writing a critique of the book. It was interesting enough -- not a 5/5 star absolutely WONDERFUL read -- but nor do I feel like it deserves lower than 3/5 stars from me. I enjoyed reading it, and while I never felt as though I absolutely had to continue reading, it was like an old friend when I picked it back up again.
I would recommend this to anyone, as long as you don't try to compare it to Amy Tan's writing, or as long as you aren't expecting a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat ride. :)
I think if you go into this book expecting it to be exciting or suspenseful, then you're going to be disappointed. For me, it was a break from the constant tension innate in the other books that I'm currently reading.
The main thing that made no sense to me was how Shoko still spoke in broken Pidgin English after spending 40+ years in America, with an American husband, raising two children who speak perfectly fine English. I mean, I guess there are people like that...? but it did require me to suspend my disbelief -- especially when Suiko's relatives in Japan spoke flawless English.
I liked the discussion of Nagasaki/Hiroshima and how it affected the people living within the radiation's radius. However, when Suiko says that Nagasaki was "always something that interested her" (paraphrasing) -- that made no sense. Um, okay, but we've only just heard about your interest right now, as you are walking into the park that was created around the site of the explosion in Nagasaki?...
Overall, for me, this was a quiet, relaxing read. I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on what I disliked about it since I wasn't planning on writing a critique of the book. It was interesting enough -- not a 5/5 star absolutely WONDERFUL read -- but nor do I feel like it deserves lower than 3/5 stars from me. I enjoyed reading it, and while I never felt as though I absolutely had to continue reading, it was like an old friend when I picked it back up again.
I would recommend this to anyone, as long as you don't try to compare it to Amy Tan's writing, or as long as you aren't expecting a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat ride. :)