Unspoken


 

Unspoken is a historical romance novel about a Japanese waitress, Tomi, and an American soldier, George, who fall in love in Tokyo during the Korean War. The novel explores the power of love against the backdrop of post-WWII America and Japan, highlighting the couple's struggle to overcome linguistic and cultural barriers, long separations, financial hardship, prejudice and attempts to keep them apart.


Perhaps the most unique aspect of Tomi and George’s struggle is how they conquer the vast distance between them; they sustain their love by writing letters—hers in Japanese, his in English—that neither can read without a translator. While Unspoken is not an epistolary novel, it does feature correspondence and events revealed by over a hundred handwritten letters, preserved for over seventy years,  that Tomi and George sent to each other as they struggled to stay connected.


In 1952, George meets Tomi on a blind date in Tokyo. They connect instantly, despite their language barrier, and enjoy a blissful year together before a painful separation. Returning to the US, George promises to return for Tomi and later proposes marriage by letter. Finding an assignment in Tokyo or saving money to get to Japan proves difficult for George, whose mother tries to match him with an American girl. Meanwhile, Tomi is pressured at work by a yakuza and criticized by her own family for putting her faith in an American. After more than a year apart, George secures a job abroad. While angling for a transfer to Japan, he remains unaware Tomi is coping with aggressive suitors and her unspoken fears that she and George will never unite. Spoiler alert: They do.


​Unspoken is a poignant historical fiction novel with strong romantic elements. It is shaped by humor, the era's political, economic, and cultural forces, and a compelling structure that reads like a cross between Amor Towles and Nicholas Sparks. It is a story of heartache and happiness, trust and betrayal, longing and hope, spanning several years and several countries. Ultimately, it is about the power of true love.