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Chronicles of the Proverbs #2
The Tree of Perseverance
In the shadow of a poignant Japanese proverb advocating self-reliance—Rely on your own walking stick rather than people—Mi's life takes an unforeseen and harrowing turn. Overcoming the paralysis of the morning left her with a deformed leg, rendering the proverb a cruel reality. As if guided by an inexorable hand of fate, those she holds closest to her heart, one by one, betray her trust, leaving Mi to navigate a world of isolation and despair.
Caught in the suffocating grip of a loveless marriage to a foreign doctor who aided her in regaining her mobility, Mi's existence mirrors that of a caged animal—trapped and yearning for freedom. The echoes of her past love and the dreams of a future once cherished are silenced by the heavy chains of her present reality.
In this riveting tale of betrayal, resilience, and intrigue, Mi's journey is a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. Join her as she navigates a treacherous landscape, where the line between friend and foe blurs, and the path to freedom is fraught with danger. Discover how one woman's unwavering determination and self-reliance can ultimately lead to her redemption and the unearthing of truths hidden in the darkest corners of society.
Caught in the suffocating grip of a loveless marriage to a foreign doctor who aided her in regaining her mobility, Mi's existence mirrors that of a caged animal—trapped and yearning for freedom. The echoes of her past love and the dreams of a future once cherished are silenced by the heavy chains of her present reality.
In this riveting tale of betrayal, resilience, and intrigue, Mi's journey is a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit. Join her as she navigates a treacherous landscape, where the line between friend and foe blurs, and the path to freedom is fraught with danger. Discover how one woman's unwavering determination and self-reliance can ultimately lead to her redemption and the unearthing of truths hidden in the darkest corners of society.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2023
4 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
About the author
India Millar
41 books249 followersWith a literary journey spanning more than a dozen captivating novels set in historical Japan and a collection of evocative haikus, India Millar has embarked on a diverse career. Her professional odyssey commenced amidst the machinery of British Gas's heavy industry, eventually culminating within the hallowed halls of the British Library, where the tapestry of knowledge and storytelling merged seamlessly.
Now, India finds herself in the idyllic embrace of early retirement on the enchanting Costa Blanca. As she continues to explore the realms of history and poetry, India remains deeply grateful for the winding path that has led her to this peaceful and creative haven. Each word written, each page turned, is a testament to the enduring passion for storytelling that continues to shape her life's narrative.
Now, India finds herself in the idyllic embrace of early retirement on the enchanting Costa Blanca. As she continues to explore the realms of history and poetry, India remains deeply grateful for the winding path that has led her to this peaceful and creative haven. Each word written, each page turned, is a testament to the enduring passion for storytelling that continues to shape her life's narrative.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 30, 2023
When the going gets tough...
the tough ones, like Mi, cannot always get going. Sometimes, like Mi, they are trapped. An adult now, Mi finds herself the reluctant and dutiful daughter, married by parental demand to Edward, the English doctor who has successfully treated her partial polio paralysis. Held down by centuries of tradition and cultural expectations, hampered by a lack of understanding of her English doctor husband's gaijin (foreigner) ways, perplexed and hurt by his refusal to consummate their marriage, Mi does all she knows to be a good wife. Her efforts are ignored, or misperceived, or devalued. And yet, Edward claims he loves her. She fills his increasingly frequent absences with standing in for him at his clinic - she has absorbed his basic medical training well enough to do so. Their impasse cannot continue, so when political events impact the gaijin presence in Japan, Mi determines to let her English husband and in-laws depart without her. She thinks she will go on, start her own life as a healer, and be a woman on her own in the new Japan. Easily dreamt of, but such unheard-of behavior in a Japanese woman? Female self-assertion is cultural heresy, and social suicide! She will lose not only the family she has married into, but her birth family will disown her as well. In a time and place where family is all-important, we see her dilemma, and we spend the length of the story suffering with her in increasingly desperate silence. In the end, Mi's new-found understanding of how the men of both her families have betrayed her for their own gains, or to forestall their own misfortunes, galvanizes her to confrontation. Mi's tree of perseverance splinters in the storm of anger and recrimination that follows. We leave her, in the wreckage of her former obedience, to contemplate what future there can be if she dares to stand alone.
It is challenging to endure a situation like Mi's, and just as challenging to read through it, especially since author India Millar's portrayal is so compelling. Mi's life is an approaching train wreck; we see it coming but can't look away. At book's end, we are left in much the same place as she - knowing the past is destroyed, but uncertain of the path through the wreckage. Readers must trust that the final book in the trilogy will bring some relief and resolution, and perhaps, a better life for our brave heroine Mi. This is a voluntary and independent ARC review.
the tough ones, like Mi, cannot always get going. Sometimes, like Mi, they are trapped. An adult now, Mi finds herself the reluctant and dutiful daughter, married by parental demand to Edward, the English doctor who has successfully treated her partial polio paralysis. Held down by centuries of tradition and cultural expectations, hampered by a lack of understanding of her English doctor husband's gaijin (foreigner) ways, perplexed and hurt by his refusal to consummate their marriage, Mi does all she knows to be a good wife. Her efforts are ignored, or misperceived, or devalued. And yet, Edward claims he loves her. She fills his increasingly frequent absences with standing in for him at his clinic - she has absorbed his basic medical training well enough to do so. Their impasse cannot continue, so when political events impact the gaijin presence in Japan, Mi determines to let her English husband and in-laws depart without her. She thinks she will go on, start her own life as a healer, and be a woman on her own in the new Japan. Easily dreamt of, but such unheard-of behavior in a Japanese woman? Female self-assertion is cultural heresy, and social suicide! She will lose not only the family she has married into, but her birth family will disown her as well. In a time and place where family is all-important, we see her dilemma, and we spend the length of the story suffering with her in increasingly desperate silence. In the end, Mi's new-found understanding of how the men of both her families have betrayed her for their own gains, or to forestall their own misfortunes, galvanizes her to confrontation. Mi's tree of perseverance splinters in the storm of anger and recrimination that follows. We leave her, in the wreckage of her former obedience, to contemplate what future there can be if she dares to stand alone.
It is challenging to endure a situation like Mi's, and just as challenging to read through it, especially since author India Millar's portrayal is so compelling. Mi's life is an approaching train wreck; we see it coming but can't look away. At book's end, we are left in much the same place as she - knowing the past is destroyed, but uncertain of the path through the wreckage. Readers must trust that the final book in the trilogy will bring some relief and resolution, and perhaps, a better life for our brave heroine Mi. This is a voluntary and independent ARC review.
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