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A Novel (Tokyo Ever After, 1)
by Emiko Jean
Emiko Jean's New York Times bestseller and Reese Book Club Pick Tokyo Ever After is the "refreshing, spot-on" (Booklist, starred review) story of an ordinary Japanese American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan!
Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in―it isn't easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it's always been Izumi―or Izzy, because "It's easier this way"―and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father's identity…and he's none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn't all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself―back home, she was never "American" enough, and in Japan, she must prove she's "Japanese" enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after?
"A refreshing and spot-on depiction of Japanese Americans exploring their heritage, with appeal far beyond female Asian readers." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Izumi's determined spirit and character arc will endear readers to her. A fun experience that readers will want to read again and again." ―School Library Journal (starred review)
"A fresh, funny, emotive, inspiring, and empowering #ownvoices triumph." ―Shelf Awareness
"Move over, Mia Thermopolis! Princess Izumi will completely capture your heart while making you laugh nonstop. With an unforgettable voice and a heart-fluttering romance, Tokyo Ever After is an instant favorite." ―Gloria Chao, author of American Panda
"Emiko's flair for sumptuous detail―Food! Castles! Swoony confessions! Court drama! Cherry blossoms by the million!―locked me helplessly into a world of splendor I never wanted to leave." ―David Yoon, author of Frankly in Love
This information about Tokyo Ever After was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
When Emiko Jean isn't writing, she is reading. Before she became a writer, she was an entomologist, a candlemaker, a florist, and most recently, a teacher. She lives in Washington with her husband and children (unruly twins). She is also the author of Empress of all Seasons and We'll Never Be Apart.
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Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.
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