Rebecca Copeland

Goodreads Author


Born
in Fukuoka, Japan
Website

Member Since
June 2020


Rebecca Copeland is a writer of fiction and literary criticism and a translator of Japanese literature. Her stories travel between Japan and the American South and touch on questions of identity, belonging, and self-discovery. The Kimono Tattoo, her debut work, takes readers on a journey into Kyoto’s intricate world of kimono design, and into a mystery that interweaves family dynamics, loss, and reconciliation.

Her academic writings have focused almost exclusively on modern Japanese women writers, their battles against conservative literary expectations, and their wonderful, at times subversive creativity. She has translated the works of writer Uno Chiyo and novelist Kirino Natsuo. Her translation of Kirino’s The Goddess Chronicle won the PE
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“The Sun Behind the Eyes”: On Reincarnations, Adaptations, and Living Legacies

Lately I’ve been going through drawers upon drawers of files, deciding what to keep and what to toss.

Retirement approaches, and I need to clear out my office.

I have more than 35 years to go through covering the work I’ve done at Washington University.

Some files and folders date back even earlier: to International Christian University, where I worked for five years; and earlier still to my one-year

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Published on April 08, 2026 03:29
Average rating: 3.74 · 15,510 ratings · 1,874 reviews · 17 distinct worksSimilar authors
Grotesque

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3.74 avg rating — 14,371 ratings — published 2003 — 3 editions
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The Goddess Chronicle

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3.73 avg rating — 3,681 ratings — published 2008 — 26 editions
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The Story of a Single Woman

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3.33 avg rating — 436 ratings — published 1972 — 7 editions
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The Kimono Tattoo

3.91 avg rating — 221 ratings — published 2021 — 7 editions
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Yamamba: In Search of the J...

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Rebecca’s Recent Updates

Rebecca Copeland wrote a new blog post

“The Sun Behind the Eyes”: On Reincarnations, Adaptations, and Living Legacies

Lately I’ve been going through drawers upon drawers of files, deciding what to keep and what to toss.Retirement approaches, and I need to clear out my Read more of this blog post »
Rebecca Copeland entered a giveaway
The Wife Before by Shanora Williams
The Wife Before
by Shanora Williams (Goodreads Author)
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Rebecca Copeland rated a book it was amazing
Occult Hunting and Supernatural Play in Japan by Laura  Miller
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Occult Hunting is a fascinating, truly interdisciplinary work that interweaves rich understanding of Japanese history, religion, the arts, anthropology, media studies, gender studies and more. The work challenges us to reconsider our tacit reaction t ...more
Rebecca Copeland rated a book it was amazing
Tangled Spirits by Kate  Shanahan
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I've always been a big fan of Sei Shonagon, author of the 10th-century Pillow Book. She is often sidelined (unfairly, I think) by all the attention paid to her contemporary, Murasaki Shikibu, and her voluminous The Tale of Genji.

Kate Shanahan turns
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Tangled Spirits by Kate  Shanahan
"A fantasy story mixed with historical fiction makes for a great page turner. A time traveler trying to navigate in different time periods. The story holds the reader’s attention until the end. Wonderful and unique storytelling.

I received an advance r" Read more of this review »
Tangled Spirits by Kate  Shanahan
"I really enjoyed this book. I love the time frame it is based in, I enjoyed the growth of the characters and I appreciated the struggle to make the story as true and honest to the history as possible while making the book readable for those of us who" Read more of this review »
Tangled Spirits by Kate  Shanahan
"I never read Japanese historical fiction before (I usually stick to American or Celtic fiction), so I wasn't sure what to expect. Kate Shanahan delivered in the best way possible. I found myself literally laughing out loud as I listened to the modern" Read more of this review »
Rebecca Copeland rated a book really liked it
Villain by Shūichi Yoshida
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Ishibashi Yoshino, a graduate of a junior college and now an insurance saleswoman in Fukuoka City, spends time searching for love on online dating sites. "Love" is hardly what she finds. In fact, her demand for money after each of her hook ups bring ...more
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The Searcher by Tana French
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A slow-burn mystery.
It took a few chapters before I was drawn into this novel. In the beginning it read like a character's search for self. And though that thread of the novel continued throughout, soon the main character, Cal Hooper, a twenty-five
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The Inugami Clan by Seishi Yokomizo
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A fun and lively read! The Inugami Clan carried readers into the chilly mountains of Nasu, northeast of Tokyo. It was delightful to be away from the city and tucked in among quiet ryokan lodgings and lovely estates. But don't let the pristine beauty ...more
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