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Moonflower
When Jerome Talbot's brilliant scientific career led him to Japan, his wife, Marcia, knew it meant a long separation for them. But she confidently awaited word to join him and when, instead, she received his letter asking for a divorce, the news came as an overwhelming blow. In shock and dismay, she flew at once to her husband in Kyoto, hoping to wrest from him some reason for his determination to end their marriage.
When she arrived, she discovered Jerome living on terms of extraordinary intimacy with the Japanese family in the house next door. He forbade Marcia to see them or talk to them, and yet she could not help but see that he was in some mysterious way at their command. For the rest, she met a blank wall of indifference in him, broken occasionally by a bitter wish to humiliate her.
Though fear and frustration invaded her heart, Marcia kept to her purpose. If she couldn't win back Jerome's love she could, for the sake of their happy years together, try to help him with a problem -which she did not understand, but which she felt threatened his sanity.
When she arrived, she discovered Jerome living on terms of extraordinary intimacy with the Japanese family in the house next door. He forbade Marcia to see them or talk to them, and yet she could not help but see that he was in some mysterious way at their command. For the rest, she met a blank wall of indifference in him, broken occasionally by a bitter wish to humiliate her.
Though fear and frustration invaded her heart, Marcia kept to her purpose. If she couldn't win back Jerome's love she could, for the sake of their happy years together, try to help him with a problem -which she did not understand, but which she felt threatened his sanity.
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
107 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis A. Whitney
191 books566 followersPhyllis Ayame Whitney (1903 – 2008) was an American mystery writer. Rare for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic locations. A review in The New York Times once dubbed her "The Queen of the American Gothics".
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
She was born in Japan to American parents and spent her early years in Asia. Whitney wrote more than seventy novels. In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile novel, and she duplicated the honor in 1964, for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. Whitney died of pneumonia on February 8, 2008, aged 104.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 26, 2017
Eh, all that build up for such a quick ending and no epilogue at that to round things out. The Japan setting post WWII was very well done though.
August 28, 2023
It is a treat when Phyllis A. Whitney introduces Japan or China. She was born in the former and went to school in the latter. She knew what it meant to be an American born elsewhere and vice versa. She knew the outrageous difference that patriarchal versus equal genders made and that each family’s Japanese or western homes were exotically alien environments. There were astonishing rules about traditional women not going out for supper with their own families.
The best element of Phyllis’ work is that it was current: at publishing time! This is real historical fiction. The only kind I like is authentic modernity that is naturally aged like this. She did not imagine how the Japanese thought, lived, dressed, or spoke. She wrote this story in 1958 itself! She wrote a pair of adult and youth novels per location and imparted fresh cultural details in each one. These are equally poignant but I prefer “Secret Of The Samurai Sword”. Characters were mainly likeable, with only gender prejudice to overthrow. It earned five stars.
“The Moonflower” felt much more modern, perhaps because it is an adult novel of a determined woman deciding whether or not to accept a divorce. However, I hated Marcia’s husband and only slowly liked his pal, Nan and their neighbours, Chiyo & Ichiro. Mistaking the dynamics of their family and Jerome’s were key plot twists but Marcia & Laurie were for the largest stretch, uncomfortably alone. Depression and disfigurement were central subjects and outgrowing a selfish asshole. Another point fell over a sloppy escape.
Recognizing a famous city from a train with shocked awe, was the most emotional moment. WWII was 13 years fresh, with the survivors everywhere, when Phyllis wrote this. Marcia was right to gasp when she beheld Hiroshima through her window.
The best element of Phyllis’ work is that it was current: at publishing time! This is real historical fiction. The only kind I like is authentic modernity that is naturally aged like this. She did not imagine how the Japanese thought, lived, dressed, or spoke. She wrote this story in 1958 itself! She wrote a pair of adult and youth novels per location and imparted fresh cultural details in each one. These are equally poignant but I prefer “Secret Of The Samurai Sword”. Characters were mainly likeable, with only gender prejudice to overthrow. It earned five stars.
“The Moonflower” felt much more modern, perhaps because it is an adult novel of a determined woman deciding whether or not to accept a divorce. However, I hated Marcia’s husband and only slowly liked his pal, Nan and their neighbours, Chiyo & Ichiro. Mistaking the dynamics of their family and Jerome’s were key plot twists but Marcia & Laurie were for the largest stretch, uncomfortably alone. Depression and disfigurement were central subjects and outgrowing a selfish asshole. Another point fell over a sloppy escape.
Recognizing a famous city from a train with shocked awe, was the most emotional moment. WWII was 13 years fresh, with the survivors everywhere, when Phyllis wrote this. Marcia was right to gasp when she beheld Hiroshima through her window.
January 14, 2015
What a strange little book. No surprises here. Lots of information on Japanese culture. Very light on mystery and romance.
March 13, 2021
Big Jane Eyre vibes. Lovely description of post war Japan.
February 11, 2022
After a string of historical novels, Phyllis A. Whitney set "The Moonflower" in the present-day of her native Japan. This first instance of the kind of trademark contemporary romantic suspense novel for which she'd become famous over the next four decades is a mixed bag. The author's deep love of Japan combines with her great ability to use local scenery and customs to give the novel a distinctive feel. Like her previous novels, Whitney wants to transcend genre by giving her characters more depth than normally found in such novels. Yet the central couple of the novel, unhappily married Marcia and Jerome Talbot, are unsympathetic and in Jerome's case, nasty, mean, and cruel. The reader has no interest in them whatsoever, almost from their first appearance. This fatal flaw makes reading the novel more of a chore than a pleasure.
July 28, 2023
the writing is just impeccably beautiful. i absolutely adore the descriptions of japans’ environs. it made me want to visit japan!!
the ending was a little too underwhelming, which is why i didn’t give it 5 stars but still, it’s a beautiful book! highly recommended!
the ending was a little too underwhelming, which is why i didn’t give it 5 stars but still, it’s a beautiful book! highly recommended!
August 21, 2011
My second most favorite novel of her's and have re read it many times. Again I read this one in high school and that was 50 yrs ago!!
February 16, 2025
I always like a Gothic romance, and I enjoyed the Japanese setting.
July 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this one by Whitney despite it being a bit outdated socially. The descriptions of Japan were wonderful and the book was a good length. However I almost gave it four stars because the ending felt a bit rushed. I felt the character of Haruka and her story with Jerome should’ve been explored more for the reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2015
This book contained many elements of the traditional gothic romance, accentuated by the setting and culture of Japan. The descriptions of the environs, people and traditions were wonderful, and would provide a satisfying read to a lover of the gothic and of Japanese culture.
Emotionally, the story left me rather cold. The plot involves a woman who travels to Japan with her young daughter to reunite with her estranged husband. His terrible personality alienates her quickly, leading one to believe she found some independence from him during their separation. A romance develops between the heroine and a man she meets aboard the plane to Japan, but it is almost incidental compared to the larger suspense plot.
Though well-written and admirably researched, the story does not move quickly. The ending is depressing, though things turn out well for the heroine.
Emotionally, the story left me rather cold. The plot involves a woman who travels to Japan with her young daughter to reunite with her estranged husband. His terrible personality alienates her quickly, leading one to believe she found some independence from him during their separation. A romance develops between the heroine and a man she meets aboard the plane to Japan, but it is almost incidental compared to the larger suspense plot.
Though well-written and admirably researched, the story does not move quickly. The ending is depressing, though things turn out well for the heroine.
April 12, 2021
I keep coming back to this classic Phyllis A. Whitney novel whenever I feel nostalgic for Japan. One doesn't have to spend much time in the country for its unique character and beauty to seep into one's soul. This story, of an American wife who travels to Kyoto with her young daughter to join her husband mixes the new Japan with the old in the post-WWII decades. Some, like her husband's mysterious neighbours, still cling to the past in what seems a doomed attempt to keep alive what was rare and precious about the world before the war. While not a story of high drama, and containing little that one could describe as 'action', it is nevertheless a fascinating story if you like moody, atmospheric reads set in a authentic historical context.
March 3, 2016
Set in Japan after several years after World War II, this book is a romance and a mystery. Yet there is more to it, as the main character learns about post-war Japan through the other characters who experienced prison camps and the dropping of the atomic bomb.
May 31, 2010
See Quicksilver Pool.
May 29, 2020
I knew after I finished the first chapter exactly where this story was headed, but that does not for a moment diminish the pleasure of reading Phyllis A. Whitney's graceful writing.
The romance/mystery? It's not much of either. That is more a background to what Whitney wants to tell us.
The Moonflower, written in 1958 and set in Japan of the time, is in part, a romance with a bit of mystery, but more importantly is a reflection of the wary steps that ordinary American and Japanese took toward rapprochement post-WWII. It is written with sensitivity and understanding, which is not surprising as Whitney was born in Japan and spent her early years there. A highlight of the book is the loving description of Japan herself, the beauty of her nature, and the gentility and customs of the Japanese people.
Twenty-six-year-old Marcia Talbot receives a troubling letter from her much older husband who currently lives and works in Japan. She takes their six-year-old daughter, Laurie, with her to Japan to reunite with her husband, only to find that the man she married at age eighteen has greatly changed. At the airport in Hawaii she meets Alan Cobb, an American high school teacher who is on his way to Japan on the same flight as Marcia and Laurie.
Marcia is a strong and attractive character, well written. Laurie is realistically portrayed. Jerome, Marcia's husband, is more confusingly and not quite so believably written, but the book's strengths offset its minor flaws.
A lovely book.
The romance/mystery? It's not much of either. That is more a background to what Whitney wants to tell us.
The Moonflower, written in 1958 and set in Japan of the time, is in part, a romance with a bit of mystery, but more importantly is a reflection of the wary steps that ordinary American and Japanese took toward rapprochement post-WWII. It is written with sensitivity and understanding, which is not surprising as Whitney was born in Japan and spent her early years there. A highlight of the book is the loving description of Japan herself, the beauty of her nature, and the gentility and customs of the Japanese people.
Twenty-six-year-old Marcia Talbot receives a troubling letter from her much older husband who currently lives and works in Japan. She takes their six-year-old daughter, Laurie, with her to Japan to reunite with her husband, only to find that the man she married at age eighteen has greatly changed. At the airport in Hawaii she meets Alan Cobb, an American high school teacher who is on his way to Japan on the same flight as Marcia and Laurie.
Marcia is a strong and attractive character, well written. Laurie is realistically portrayed. Jerome, Marcia's husband, is more confusingly and not quite so believably written, but the book's strengths offset its minor flaws.
A lovely book.
July 9, 2025
Done on my BD ☺️ Yesterday I dream of Kyoto.. the description of the country are so vivid and it is one of the things I loved the most in this book. A gothic story set in Kyoto!
The mystery was ok, there were times where I had chills for the MC. And on the other hand I was like, go outside and have fun! You are in damn KYOTO!
But the big downside is the characterization. I didn't like any of them. I think the MC was too young and naive, and while it mostly works on Gothic Romances, I guess I am outgrowing them bc I can't stand this type of damsel in distress anymore. She married young (at 19!) to a much older guy (36!) and then he disappears and doesn't give a s** about her nor her daughter and she still tries hard to save their empty marriage. Their one-side marriage.
Luckily for her, when it does not work anymore, there is a nice, handsome, and totally opposite of her husband waiting for her :( I kinda wish she decided to enjoy the single life for a moment, but alas, she seems to be the type of girl who cannot be single :( -this is my non-romantic mind speaking-.
And sadly this is not a Gothic per se, since the "romance" was bland and not exciting.
The mystery was ok, there were times where I had chills for the MC. And on the other hand I was like, go outside and have fun! You are in damn KYOTO!
But the big downside is the characterization. I didn't like any of them. I think the MC was too young and naive, and while it mostly works on Gothic Romances, I guess I am outgrowing them bc I can't stand this type of damsel in distress anymore. She married young (at 19!) to a much older guy (36!) and then he disappears and doesn't give a s** about her nor her daughter and she still tries hard to save their empty marriage. Their one-side marriage.
Luckily for her, when it does not work anymore, there is a nice, handsome, and totally opposite of her husband waiting for her :( I kinda wish she decided to enjoy the single life for a moment, but alas, she seems to be the type of girl who cannot be single :( -this is my non-romantic mind speaking-.
And sadly this is not a Gothic per se, since the "romance" was bland and not exciting.
August 14, 2023
I was fully invested in this story and the characters. The author does a great job of providing a strong sense of Japan. Loved the description of the houses, food, and land. The story is a bit melancholy. While what the actual problem is seems obvious to the modern reader, we probably have much more knowledge about the after-effects of the war than the average person had at the time in which the story is set.
September 23, 2017
While some of the portrayals of Japanese culture and speech would be considered not-politically-correct today, the rest of the book was a decent read. I'm still not sure that I believe the dramatic personality change undertaken by Jerome, and I could have used an epilogue. Not sure there was enough to qualify it as a suspense or romance.
September 30, 2019
You are swept away on this adventure of mystery where you have no clue as to why
the man acts so strange toward his wife who comes to Japan and how he turns his
daughter from a nice kid to a horrible kid. You had a fear that the main character
needed to leave that place and quickly but she stays. So many twists and turns in
this book that kept you on the edge!
the man acts so strange toward his wife who comes to Japan and how he turns his
daughter from a nice kid to a horrible kid. You had a fear that the main character
needed to leave that place and quickly but she stays. So many twists and turns in
this book that kept you on the edge!
August 4, 2025
Poignant
Such a feeling of wistful longing this tale evoked quite amazing. Ms.Whitney descriptive words made emotions she's written more tangible. This left me almost sad, but the sadness stirred a feeling of hope, love, and acceptance of what life throws you. This is an exceptional story.
Such a feeling of wistful longing this tale evoked quite amazing. Ms.Whitney descriptive words made emotions she's written more tangible. This left me almost sad, but the sadness stirred a feeling of hope, love, and acceptance of what life throws you. This is an exceptional story.
April 27, 2018
Beautiful and sad. Set in Japan years after the bomb, but still with repercussions.
November 8, 2022
Great mystery! Did not follow a classic formula. The author really did her own thing with this story and l like that it was not typical or predictable!
February 23, 2023
Interesting story set in Japan after the war.Lots of setting details.
May 23, 2025
A new and incredible setting for this mistress of gothic fiction.
September 30, 2024
Read years ago. I read most of Phyllis Whitney’s books. Set in Japan, intense adventures and new love.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews