I would first like to give special recognition to the translator, Rebecca Copeland, for her fluent and eloquent work. This English translation doesn’t read like a translation at all—it feels as though I’m reading Uno Chiyo in her original language.

Uno Chiyo was a controversial woman for her time. She defied social conventions, wrote about love, and lived it openly—all of which are reflected in her semi-autobiographical character, Kazue. Knowing the story was based on real-life experiences made it easier for me to connect with and understand the character. It offered a glimpse into Uno’s life, her thought processes, and what life was like in that era.

Though I didn’t always see eye to eye with Kazue—especially in how she often seemed to protect herself at the expense of those who loved her—reading this book still felt like a beacon of hope for anyone currently facing struggles. I was struck by how often Kazue seemed on the verge of running out of money, yet she always managed to persevere and come out ahead.

That said, this was an easy 5-star read from me.

A story about a young woman who defied the norm by choosing love but not marriage and recounting the

This is an amazing story of a female trailblazer and although short is a powerful novel. I started to read a little about Chiyo Uno and her life was no less interesting. An interesting and gripping read; 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

In this era I'm trying to read more classic novels, and so when The Story of a Single Woman slid into my line of sight I nabbed it and ended up reading it more or less in one sitting.

Despite reading a fair amount of Japanese-translated books, I've never read an "I-novel" until this, so it was fascinating to read a book that was basically an autobiography, but not really, but also yes really, and especially considering the era of social conservatism for women it was wild to read Kazue just romping around following her heart (and other parts), serious about not intending to marry but doing basically all other things except birthing children! It should have been maybe sort of freeing or something but mostly it was sad both in keeping herself so deeply in poverty (mostly from habit or not knowing any other way to be!) for a good chunk of the book so she could just do whatever with men, and also just depending on men so fully even when she left some of them on a whim - just to be so hurt when the same was done to her. (Can't relate but literature doesn't have to be about relating..!) And at a point it just sort of... stopped, where I would have been interested to read this lady's later life as it's told from Kazue in her 70s/80s but stops well short of that... especially considering what happens in Japan after the story stops.

I think I'll probably be thinking about some of the themes and experiences in this book for a little while, but ultimately it wasn't a favorite even if I'm glad I did read it.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for review!

When I first picked up "The Story of a Single Woman" by Uno Chiyo (translated beautifully by Rebecca Copeland), I didn’t expect to be so thoroughly unsettled and moved at the same time. Originally published in 1972, this Japanese classic—an 'I-novel', delicately poised between autobiography and fiction—tells the story of *Kazue*, a woman well into her seventies at the start of the book, who looks back at her long, winding, and defiant journey through life.

Kazue’s tale is told with a quiet intensity, the narrator neither too close nor too far—just enough to let her story unravel in vivid, often jarring, layers. Born into affluence, with her father’s family steeped in the sake brewing business, Kazue’s life is paradoxically marred by poverty, loss, and the cruel dominance of a father who squanders more than just money. The early death of her mother leaves a shadow, though her *kindly stepmother* offers brief shelter from her father’s harshness. And when he finally dies, it is not grief Kazue is left with—it is freedom. That subtle shift, from control to liberation, is where her real story begins.

From there, she drifts—through jobs, men, homes, and desires. Kazue adores makeup for its transformative magic but also mistrusts it for the lie it tells. She craves love but dismisses marriage, seeing it as a pointless trap. Each relationship, each decision, each shift in her circumstances seems driven by something unspoken—a need that even Kazue herself doesn’t articulate. Her wanderings aren’t aimless, yet they are never rooted. What is she searching for? Or is she merely trying to stay one step ahead of the ghosts she carries?

What I found most intensely fascinating—and yes, often frustrating—was how Kazue’s small eccentricities gradually blossom into blatant defiance, a willful madness that eerily mirrors her father’s reckless streak. Is she simply following in his footsteps, or is her chaos a quiet rebellion against the expectations of her time?

This is where Uno Chiyo excels: in painting a woman who is neither heroine nor villain, who doesn’t invite sympathy but earns it anyway. In an era where women were expected to be loyal, chaste, and predictable, Kazue’s choices are almost scandalous. Yet they are hers, unapologetically.

Uno Chiyo’s own life reads like a novel, and much of her spirit animates Kazue’s character. Ostracized by her village in her youth, she went on to become one of Japan’s most celebrated women writers. There’s something deeply poetic in how she reclaims her story, piece by piece, in works like this.

Reading "The Story of a Single Woman" won’t always be comfortable. Kazue isn’t particularly lovable. Her actions are frequently erratic, sometimes cruel, and often irrational. But somehow, she stays with you. Her life, lived without overthinking or self-examination, forces us to do the hard work of reflecting. What makes a life meaningful? Is it love, stability, legacy—or simply freedom to live on one’s own terms?

As the final page turned, I found myself lingering in Kazue’s world, not ready to leave. And perhaps, that is the quiet brilliance of Uno Chiyo’s work—it disorients, it unnerves, but it doesn’t let go.

📘✨ An unforgettable, unflinching portrait of a woman who chose to live wildly, freely, and sometimes recklessly.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Absolutely loved it! A captivating and well-crafted work that kept me engaged from start to finish. Highly recommend.

Took me awhile to finish this. And it was a struggle to the end. I was barely interested in Kazue, mostly because how she was…indifferent? Oblivious? Willfully ignorant? About how her actions affect other people around her. Never mind how other people viewed her, she was always independent of that, which is kind of admirable but… and never mind her forging her own path when it seems to have put herself in harm’s way many times. Kazue is rather ahead in her thinking that most would be at that time. But reading about it, I feel…discontent at what I just read.

“Each of us, at one time or another, have been so caught up in what we are doing that we have no idea just what it is we are up to or what our actions will mean to others. It was like this with Kazue. While she was living in Magome with Nozaki, her heart was so caught up in all they did that she gave no thought to what her actions really meant. That was the way it was that hot day in late summer when Mr Kajimura called on her and then left without saying much about anything. Even as she watched his retreating figure climb the hill, she did not think about the true import of his visit.”

Kazue was an interesting woman in her time. There was nothing making her stand out from women today who would like to live their lives as they please, but for when this book was written she was the odd one out.

I liked her and her vision. She might be doing things without really thinking about them, but at least she was not following the norms people tried to push on her. I like women who are ahead of their times.

This was possibly the wrong time to read a book like this, and hopefully I'll give it another go in the future. I agree with a lot of the reviews mentioning the fact that this would have resonated with a lot more people and would have been more enjoyable had Chiyo Uno wrote from her own perspective without introducing Kazue. It was a lovely read in terms of the descriptions and imagery, but the third person narrative made me feel removed from the story and overall that made it a difficult read. This hasn't put me off reading anything else written by Uno, though!

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was interesting but not necessarily intriguing. The main character of this book Kazue walks us through her life over a period of 30 years in the context of the men in her life. Starting with her father and then different men in her life Kazue descriptions of herself are unremarkable and make the reader question why we should even be engaged at all. She cares but she doesn't, and goes through events that one would describe as traumatic but the author doesn't take the time to process them. I don't think the end is particularly satisfying or clear, just the end of a chapter.

What a great opportunity to read this classic by Uno Chiyo. I look forward to reading the other Pushkin Press Classics as I would never have come across these titles otherwise. The Story of a Single Woman is a strong portrayal of a woman of her own mind. This novel is an excellent statement for women today to not worry about what others think of your life!

Book review/ARC: The Story of a Single Woman by Chiyo Uno, translated by Rebecca Copeland

✨

This novel was first published in the 1970s and tells the story of Kazue, a young woman who grows up in a remote village in Japan and defies societal expectations: She refuses an arranged marriage, is forced to leave home because of an affair, and then goes on to live as a single, independent and free-spirited woman - which at the time was considered extremely scandalous; through today’s eyes, her act of rebellion and defiance was brave and remarkable.

What is noteworthy about this slim book is that it’s autobiographical - so I did some research about Chiyo Uno, and was really fascinated by her story (I’d be interested to read more of her works). But I feel that the book could have been stronger if she had just told it from her point of view instead of introducing Kazue as a protagonist; at times, I felt strangely detached from her, even though I was always invested in her journey. I can’t really put my finger on it… Maybe it’s just that I think that this story had so so so much potential given it’s based on the author’s life but it fell a little flat. (I also had some trouble with the pacing.)

Nevertheless, I think Chiyo Uno was an inspiring woman and trailblazing Japanese writer, and if nothing else, I’m glad I learned more about her through this book. She once said that “the essence of her life was not to follow anyone else’s rules and to have done as she pleased.” What a statement! And it’s also great to see that although she was seen as a bit of an oddity, breaking free from conventional boundaries, she found success as a writer & is fully embraced and recognized by her home country as one of the most important authors of the 20th century.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the ARC. The Story of a Single Woman is out now.

"That girl's trouble! Kazue constantly catches herself thinking as she stands watching on the sidelines. But this is the kind of girl Kazue was fifty-six years ago."

Ground-breaking in its time, this shortish 1970s novel is agreed to be autofiction, and a few details of the author's life correlate with this. We go back to the 1920s, as 70-year-old Kazue looks back (in the third person) on her early life, growing up with a person she realises is a stepmother, her father, and their several children in rural Japan. Life is hard and her father demanding, yet she does all he asks willingly, but she has a rebellious streak and she certainly doesn't want to get married (in fact she's married off to a cousin when she's 13 but manages to get back home). We follow her through several relationships and her tendency to run when things get difficult - or boring, her partners more blank and her very strongly drawn. Such unusual behaviour is criticised but she breezes through life and genuinely doesn't seem to care what people think and say about her. The book is beautifully shaped, with scenes and conversations at the docks echoing each other as she travels from home several times. There's a useful Introduction which sets the book and author in their context.

Blog review published 5 May 2025 https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/05/05/book-review-chiyo-uno-translated-by-rebecca-copeland-the-story-of-a-single-woman/

Stunning!
What an absolute masterclass in characterisation and use of vocabulary. Genuinely wonderful.

Thought this was a new release - is not and wish that were better communicated if called an advanced copy. I dont think this is a recommendation for everyone but those who i think will like it i bet love it.

Reading this book was a lovely experience! I wasn't familiar with Chiyo Uno at all and so reading this "fictionalized memoir" was very interesting. Learning about how people lived in the past in a country different than my own and especially in a rural setting is incredibly valuable to me. Apart from all of this, the life story of the main character is extremely compelling: a woman defying societal expectations in a time when that was extremely dangerous and just following her heart. Kazue is a very unusual protagonist, her decisions most of the time don't seem to make any sense and the narration also doesn't seem to be interested in explaining us everything. There are also some horrifying events that are described in a very matter of fact way, that made them even more heartbreaking to me.
However, the tone of the writing and the quickly brushing through events left me a bit frustrated in the end. I really wanted to understand more, particularly about Kazue's writing.
It is a very fast read and I would love to read more from this author!
Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for providing me with a copy of this book.

Have you read The Trial by Franz Kafka? I found it hard to read for many reasons, and I eventually gave up at 80%. I simply had had enough. Yet, to my surprise, I found articles, scholarly analyses, and discussions about The Trial absolutely fascinating. In other words, talking about the book is far more interesting than the book itself. The Story of a Single Woman seems to be a similar case.

This is a story set in 1920s Japan in a stiff society. The book itself was first published in Japan in the 1970s. It's fiction with strong autobiographical features, which is a separate genre in Japanese literature. The story is a memoir of a woman who values freedom from social restraint more than anything else, but somehow she does not realize it. She does whatever she wants, whenever she wants. Any financial, social, or emotional consequences are not important to her at all. She never gives any thought to others. The only exception is her family and the person that she loved in the given moment, but even so, she still behaves as if her empathy is heavily limited.
The memoir is written in third person, which creates a distance between the author, Kazue, and the reader. The writing style feels deprived of any emotions, it's almost dry. This makes it hard to read, but it seems like it's been written this way on purpose. What did Chiyo want to achieve by that? That's been a subject of a long-term debate ever since the first publication date.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

Novels like these can be hit or miss for me, but I became deeply invested in Kazue, the protagonist of this novel. This is a fairly short read following her as she grows into an adult and learns how to survive in the world, as well as how her upbringing cast a shadow over her life generally. It's set in Japan during the 1920s, which is a fascinating period, as it's right before World War II. A small section of the novel takes place in colonial Korea, so I was very interested to see how it was depicted from a postcolonial Japanese woman writer.

Overview
Uno Chiyo’s The Story of a Single Woman (1928) offers readers a glimpse of Taishō‑era Japan through the eyes of “Chiyo,” a stand‑in for the author herself. The novella unfolds in brief, evocative vignettes that chart Chiyo’s efforts to carve out a life of independence, renting her own room, taking odd jobs, seeking companionship, all under the scrutinizing gaze of a society that regards an unmarried woman’s autonomy as scandalous.

What I Loved
Lyrical, Poetic Prose: The translation glides along, capturing the hush of cicadas, the soft patter of rain on a paper lantern, the tension in a bowed greeting. Every scene is painted with delicate brush strokes.

Period Atmosphere: From vintage kimono patterns to references to “modern girl” fashion trends, you really feel 1920s Tokyo and Osaka coming alive.

Quiet Vulnerability: Chiyo’s small defeats, being passed over for a teaching post, overhearing gossip, resonate deeply. You can sense her longing for respect and connection.

What Didn’t Quite Work
Emotional Distance: By keeping Chiyo in third person, Uno Chiyo deliberately distances herself from her protagonist. It’s an interesting choice, but it can feel chilly. I often wished for more direct access to Chiyo’s inner thoughts, her heartbreak and hopes feel glimpsed rather than fully inhabited.

Uneven Pacing: Some chapters feel like they end mid‑breath, while others linger too long on incidents that don’t always drive the arc forward. The result is a somewhat episodic structure that occasionally stalls the momentum.

Subdued Critique: While the novella clearly shows the social taboos and surveillance women faced, it stops short of overt feminist polemic or deep social analysis. It’s more observational than revolutionary.

Final Thoughts
I came to this expecting a deeply personal, confessional narrative—autobiographical fiction is my sweet spot. Instead, I found a quiet, restrained work that observes its protagonist with gentle detachment. That restraint is its strength and its limitation. If you crave lush atmospheres and subtle social commentary, you’ll find much to admire here. If you want a passionate, immersive feminist manifesto, you might feel a bit undernourished.

Recommended for fans of early 20th‑century Japanese women’s literature and anyone curious about the “modern girl” era’s social tightrope. Pair it with Higuchi Ichiyō’s short stories for a more intimate counterpoint.

While an account of a rebellious woman, the writing remains dry. One never gets deep into the story to see what's happening on the inside. As a reader, I tasted sadness through the words but it never really reaches the heart.