[close] "Phyllis, this is a spectacular and fascinating memoir. Not only did I learn so much about you, but I learned a tremendous amount about Japanese culture and customs, especially about all the fine details of Japanese domestic life. Your memory, attention to minute yet important and interesting details - especially eating, sleeping, and bathing arrangements - passages about the bombing, and shipboard accounts are riveting. This is a moving, powerful, graceful, and loving tribute to the years you spent in Japan, and more importantly, to your ability to truly make the most of it." - Linda Charnes, Professor of English, Indiana University [close]