SOLVED. Adult fiction novel set in the context of a writers' retreat in the US where the narrator falls in love with a man from Japan hiding on the property. [s]

[Amar]

I read this book as part of my high school AP English class around the year 2000. I remember it being written in the first person narrative mode. The protagonist is a woman attending a writing retreat in the Pacific North-West of the United States if I remember correctly. She comes across a man hiding on the property who doesn't speak English. The man comes travels there as a stowaway on a ship from Japan if I remember correctly. How she communicates with him and how she comes to love him are details I don't remember.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Sounds intriguing.

[Ayshe]

East Is East maybe?

[Amar]

Ayshe wrote: "East Is East maybe?" I am really sorry I got confused a bit and said that it is not East is East at first but it is indeed East is East! Thank you so much. Did you recognize it because you read the novel or did you just look it up based on the information I provided? Because I had searched quite a bit but didn't come across the title. Anyway, thank you again for providing the title! :-)