October 20, 2014 - 16:41
I, too, loved the manner in which Ruth Ozeki narrates the story through an intricate combination of first person and third person narratives. The parts of the book which are from Cass's perspective offer the reader a very intuitive understanding of changing identities, and how sometimes even if you change your external appearance, the same insecurities and worries that plagued you before could continue to affect you.
I found Yumi's character to be extremely complex and intriguing. Having run away from home at the age of fifteen, she never once complains or even mentions how she survived by herself. This is seen when Cass wonders towards the end of the book about how many nights Yumi might have spent with unknown men in motel rooms. Even though running away can be interpreted as a cowardly action, one cannot disregard the immense amount of bravery and courage that she had to not return home. Moreover, I found it extremely impressive that even with her complicated personal life, she managed to complete her education and settle down at a job. Even though aclark1 blames Yumi for envisioning having a family with all the fathers of her three kids, I think it makes her an even more admirable person. She never gave up on her kids even when she had to bring them up basically as a single mother and take care of her dying father and demented mother. I specifically liked the fact that even though Yumi is the protagonist, she is not written to appear heroic or wholly good. She is portrayed as having the very same flaws that many of us do, and the relatability and realness of the characters was one of the main reasons that I found the book so compelling.
Finally, it's my opinion that by handling a topic as complex as genetically modified food production by intertwining it with very real problems people encounter on a daily basis, Ozeki was able to reach a wider audience than she would have had she published a book simply about the genetically modified food and nothing else.