Other Press, May 2, 2017.
Four Stars
Set in Japan, Inheritance
from Mother is the story of two sisters and their aging mother Noriko, as
she declines in health and ends up in the hospital. Noriko is in her eighties, and
she is vain, self-absorbed and manipulative. Although her cognitive function is
declining, she is still able to control her daughters and have them satisfy her
every whim.
Older sister Mitsuki is in her mid-fifties, with a
successful career teaching French at a private Tokyo university. Although she
is doing well at work, her marriage is failing – she has just discovered that
her husband is having an affair with a much younger woman. Mitsuki sacrifices
her own chance at happiness to fulfill all of her mother’s wishes, and yet she
secretly dreams of the day that her mother will finally pass away. She carries
the full weight of responsibility for Noriko, as her beautiful sister Natsuki
has never been expected to help out.
The novel opens after Noriko’s death, as the sisters
discuss their financial inheritance from their mother. Then the story moves
backwards to when Noriko first ends up in the hospital, and the many
calculations that must be made to put her in a suitable nursing home. Although
money is a constant concern, there is another inheritance that Mitsuki receives
– the learned behaviour of her mother and the constricting bonds of womanhood.
Especially in Japan, where the feminine mystique is the image of honoured
mother and dutiful daughter, Mitsuki struggles to put herself and her happiness
first. This theme transcends Japanese culture, as the role of women globally is
that of caretaker to everyone else.
The characters are somewhat cold and disconnected,
but it’s hard not to feel empathy for them – even vain Noriko, who is
struggling to accept the fact that she is aging and unable to continue with her
life as she knew it. She hopes for a dignified death, even in the sterile and
dehumanizing hospital setting. Meanwhile, Mitsuki is clear and honest with
herself about her choices, despite her chronic fatigue and possible depression.
When she does finally receive her inheritance, it isn’t about the money – it’s
about gaining some breathing room from her life, and making time for herself.
This novel was originally serialized and published in
short chapters, which likely accounts for its repetition and length. Although
it is probably too long for a deathbed family drama, it also contains countless
themes about motherhood and, more importantly, womanhood, that are explored
thoroughly and intriguingly. Told in spare prose, the novel is touching but
never melodramatic, as Mitsuki grows into her own woman beyond the shadow of
her mother.
I received this book from Other Press and NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review.
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