With Kisses on Both Cheeks

by Elizabeth Kata

The 1960s were a time of contrasts; of a younger generation resisting the constrictive attitudes of their parents, and parents looking on with incredulity at their children's liberal ideals and alien lifestyles. In title novella 'With Kisses on Both Cheeks' Kata encapsulates this time of flux within the Kay household. Julie Kay, the only child of conservative suburban parents, looks with longing at the free loving atmosphere of the migrant family next door. Desperate for friendship, she sneaks into this forbidden world and begins a double life, that of light and warmth with the Bitinas, and that of smothering control at home. When Julie finally moves out, her rebellion leads her to a way of life so far from her upbringing that it may be too progressive even for her.The short stories that make up the rest of the collection are an eclectic mix of themes, from the moving 'Friendship', where two families, one Jewish and one German, have their bond tested by the Second World War, to the bizarre and humorous 'The Gazing Ball' in which we see a lonely New York store assistant's obsession with a crystal ball.With Kisses on Both Cheeks, first published in 1981, demonstrates Kata's remarkable ability to entertain with thoughtful and current themes, no matter what the subject matter.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth Katayama (1912 – 4 September 1998) was an Australian writer under the pseudonym Elizabeth Kata, best known for Be Ready with Bells and Drums (1961), which was made into the award-winning film A Patch of Blue (1965).

She was born of Scottish parents in Sydney in 1912. After marrying a Japanese man named Katayama in 1937, she lived for ten years in Japan. During the last years of World War II she was interned at the mountain resort village of Karuizawa, Nagano. She returned to Australia in 1947 with her baby son, battling the Australian Government for permission.

As well as writing novels, she also wrote for television and several Hollywood scripts. Her first novel, Be Ready with Bells and Drums (written in 1959, first published in 1961), was produced as the film A Patch of Blue (1965). Shelley Winters playing the role of Rose-Ann D'Arcey won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Guy Green, who directed, also adapted Kata's book and his screenplay was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award. After the success of the film, the novel was re-released as A Patch of Blue. The book was for many years included in the "school book list" both in the US and Australia. The book Mrs Katayama and Her Splash of Blue (2010, Independence Jones), covers how Elizabeth Kata's first book became the film A Patch of Blue.

Elizabeth Katayama died in Sydney in 1998.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short novella from the perspective of a young girl growing up in Sydney during the early sixties. I wish it was longer. It is easy to read, and charming. There are other short stories in the collection - all well worth reading (so far).