'As long as we are alive, we can't escape the flow of time. On the banks of the river, the dead stand quietly swaying, unblinking, watching the people get swept away by the current of time.'

Daughter of Osamu Dazai and herself the author of the mighty 'Territory of Light', this is a dizzying polyphonic exploration of friendship and disaster from Yuko Tsushima. A childhood tragedy links the friends Mitch, Kazu and Yonko, and the 2011 Fukushima disaster brings Mitch back home years later. Narratives overlap and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one voice from another, but the overall effect is a mesmerising portrait of personal and social crises that make this an important and rewarding read.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

The Wildcat Dome was an interesting read that deals with rather heavy topics. The writing (and translation) I do think capture the novel well but it can be a little choppy at times in terms of not having a seemingly set timeline. Personally this didn’t bother me or distract from the enjoyment of the novel but rather served to show the disconnect between the society and the orphans.
Tsushima seemingly mixes several tropes and themes together including a murder mystery, found family and exploring historical wounds left on society by events Japan has faced. While this may not be for everyone I do think that many will find something from reading this novel and do recommend it to those with an interest in japanese fiction in general.
As always thank you to Penguin for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

Very different from the previous works I read by Tsushima. Wildcat Dome was written in 2013, as a response to the tsunami and Fukushima disaster in 2011, what the Japanese call 3/11, and shows a continued desire to experiment with form and timelines.
There are perhaps too many themes packed into this fairly slender book (240 pages): a murder mystery, found families, friendships over the years, nuclear fallout after an earthquake and tsunami, cultural identity and mixed-race orphans (or unwanted children) in post-war Japan and the discrimination they faced, vexed notions of cultural identity and home, the dangers of problems festering when they are unaddressed. Perhaps Tsushima felt that this might be her last major novel and tried to squeeze all she wanted to say into it. The ending is particularly lyrical and moving, although it is not the complete resolution that English-speaking readers might crave

This is surely not an easy read. The narration cuts here and there and the timeline is really blurry but.. the like echo - it really reverbs.
Wildcat Dome hums with quiet sorrow. Yuko Tsushima gives voice to the children left behind—orphans born of war and foreign men, half-American, fully unwanted. These aren’t just abandoned kids; they’re reminders of a shame no one wants to claim. The dome they live in isn’t protection—it’s exile, floating just out of reach of society’s mercy.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed Wildcat Dome by Yūko Tsushima and translated by Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda (thanks to @penguin via @netgalley for the review copy). About Mitch and Yonko - old childhood friends, a tragedy that rocked their past but also bound them together and their uneasy reconnection after the death of Mitch’s brother in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, I found the writing style so interesting. It is never entirely clear if events have happened the way they are described as we see the characters through each other’s eyes, unsure what is true and what is just a projection of their feelings. Always written in the present tense, the boundary between past and present blurs and collapses. The novel is also entwined with Japan’s recovery and transformation post-1945. Mitch and his adopted brother, we find out, are two orphans of American GIs and Japanese women, abandoned after World War II. All of the characters skirt the margins of society, a familiar theme in Tsushima’s previous works (Territory of Light and Woman Running in the Mountains) yet there is none of the previous optimism in breaking free of conventions. I think Wildcat Dome is a book that will be enriched by a reread, there were so many layers to it I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface.

An unusual novel that uses the backdrop of the Fukushima nuclear incident and follow mixed race orphans (GI/War babies) and the death of one (that at least one of the orphans believes is linked to the modern orange clothes murderer). Without giving too many spoilers the novel is very much unreliably narrated and leaves you questioning what is reality, what is identity and what is belonging when you neither one nor the other...

Thank you netgalley & penguin press for the e-ARC.

I didn't enjoy it, but no serious complaints as well. Perhaps I'm just not used to the style of writing. Regardless of that, I'm very pleased to finally read a Yuko Tsushima. Her ideas, or rather the ideas she bring to her work are interesting - but frankly too much about 'American GI' in this one to hold my attention. Would have loved it more if the narrative was less meandering as well. But interesting take on how children process grief, war and trauma.

I love books that can be experienced at multiple levels, especially when they are well written. At its most basic, this is a mystery, where a group of young children are traumatised by an event that occurs in their early childhood, and are haunted by it and its repercussions throughout their lives. At another level, this is a story of how what it means to be a family and how these can form without biological bonds. At yet another level, this is a story of identity and what it means to be stuck between cultures, belonging and not really belonging to either. At a whole different level, this is a story of the terrible difficulties of living as a mixed race child and person in Japan, and the pervasive racism one has to endure. Finally, this is the tragic story of children of heroic Japanese women who persevered through terrible adversity, and often surviving rape, to raise beautiful and kind children born from the ravages and passions of American GIs post WW2.

Beyond the thematic complexity, I actually liked the form the author chose to tell her story. It is highly unconventional, foregoing many traditional mechanisms - linearity, distinction between dialogues and internal thoughts, clear delineation between characters' thought processes, etc. This writing forced me to pay special attention to ensure I got all the author wanted to say. It also served to show the whirlwind of emotions the protagonists found themselves in throughout their lives, and the unexpected turns their thoughts and recollections often took.

I highly recommend to anyone interested in the history of postwar Japan, and those curious about orphans and how they build their lives. It's also a moving narrative of a type of female heroism rarely spoken about.

My thank to Netgally and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early, in return for an honest review.

Was not a fan of the translation to be honest. Whilst I liked the story and the themes, it was difficult to read overall.

An interesting story, however I really disliked the writing style. It felt like outside commentary with no real insight into Mitch or Yonko. I desperately wanted to know more about these two, but instead we skirted around their thoughts and feelings. The narrative style made this a bit difficult to read, there were moments where nothing seemed to happened and other instances where arguably too much was happening at once. I really wish the writing was a little different, perhaps I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately it was flat and tough to finish.