The Good Shufu: Finding Love, Self and Home on the Far Side of the World

Author: Tracy Slater

Call No.: English 305.30952 SLA

Link to availability: http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/EXPNOS/BIBENQ?BRN=201511043

It’s not easy to leave the comforts of home and move to a new country. It is even harder when you find yourself in a new environment with sights, smells and language that are completely unfamiliar!

In this hilarious memoir, American author Tracy Slater recounts her struggles in moving to Japan after falling head over heels in love with a Japanese man based in Osaka.  She offers a fascinating glimpse into their lives as an intercultural, newlywed couple, even as she tries to reconcile her feminist and independent spirit with the more traditional expectations of her as a shufu, or housewife in Japanese.   

With her blend of wry humour and honesty, The Good Shufu will definitely resonate with most married couples. Going beyond the familiar issues of miscommunication and adapting to a new life and culture, Slater’s story also touches on the struggles of caring for her aged in-laws and the emotional challenge of conceiving after thirty-five. 

Contributed by Erni Nurain Salleh, Associate Librarian, National Library Board.