Yūko Tsushima

Pregnant and unmarried, Takiko, who lives at home with her violent, alcoholic father and her hard-working mother, discovers the true meaning of love, growing up, and maturity after she bears a son

A Novel

Woman Running in the Mountains

Jeremy Wang

another tsushima book about a struggling single mother! in some ways, this one felt somehow more hopeful than territory of light, although it's possible this is due to even greater negligence from the mother...

the themes of generational trauma and societal marginalization appear here as they do in tsushima's other works, although from a slightly different angle: takiko still lives with her parents, and akira is an infant for the entirety of the book, so the transferral of trauma is more explicit. also, takiko actually ends up finding a job that suits her, with coworkers who are at the very least respectful of her private life, if not actively supportive. 

somehow, though takiko's own success and wellbeing comes at the expense of her infant son's, whom she neglects and unintentionally abuses in typical tsushima fashion. because of (and perhaps in someways despite) this, i found her alternately pitiable and detestable, yet somehow always lovable. perhaps it's due to her unrelentingly stubborn pursuit of independence (and her repeated, fated failure to achieve it). greatly conflicted about the commentary this book gives on single motherhood, but i appreciate its art overall! again as is typical in a tsushima book, light appears in unexpected places and gives the entire book a strange sheen in one's mind.

"Rubber plants hurtled along them, and dracaenas and silk cotton trees, ground rattans and coco palms. Green things whose very simplicity and lack of emotion struck her as harsh. Day by day, Takiko felt herself taking on the simplicity of their greenness."

Woman Running in the Mountains A Novel