Someone to Cook For by Maiko Seo
One of the books I brought along with me to my Japan trip earlier this year was Maiko Seo’s Someone to Cook For. I picked up an ARC at a work conference but also requested an eGalley so that I could still read it after I’ve donated my physical copy to a local LFL in Japan. Initially, I was wary of picking up Someone to Cook For as I wasn’t in the mood for any kind of romantic subplot. Fortunately, the focus of this book was on the relationships between Yuko and her various guardians and their different dynamics.
While I get that the overarching theme of Someone to Cook For was “found family” in a society that places significant value on “blood ties,” I still found it both disappointing and incredibly tragic that due to the machinations of one parent, Yuko and her first parent, aka her biological father, became estranged beyond repair. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Yuko’s story and can appreciate that even if it seemed random and instable at times, Yuko truly lucked out with each of her parents as they came into her life and were able to give her what she needed at the time. Yuko’s approach to her unusual circumstances may come off as pragmatic and resilient and even indifferent at times, but the fact that she harboured no bitterness toward any of her parents can feel like a bit of wish-fulfillment writing.
While I grieved the loss of Yuko’s relationships with her other parents, I adored the quirky relationship she shares with her “last” father and final parent, Morimiya-san. Neither of them seemed to know how to be a “normal” child or parent, so they simply improvised their life together, creating the most heartwarming—and wonderfully oddball—parent-child relationship in the book. Maybe it’s because of my age, but I found myself siding with Morimiya-san about the person Yuko chose to spend her life with. Perhaps her uneven upbringing played a role, but he was definitely a flake; Yuko had to basically order him on what to do with his life. Ironically, that dynamic closely mirrors the relationship Yuko herself has with Morimiya-san.
Laurel Taylor’s translation helps to make Someone to Cook For a surprisingly uncomplicated and very readable book. Unlike most Japanese culinary and slice of life healing fiction this book manages to stay away from any magical realism elements. The overall mood stays grounded throughout, never venturing into darker territory, even though the subject matter and some of the characters’ actions could easily have taken the story in a very different direction. Instead, the story manages to maintain its wry tone as it ends on a rather touching conclusion that nicely wraps up everything and ties together everyone in Yuko’s story. I’d actually love to see more of Maiko Seo’s books translated into English and brought over to North America because I enjoy her storytelling. She writes about interesting characters and situations without making everything feel overly bleak or weird.
Read If You Liked: The Ex-Boyfriend’s Favorite Recipe Funeral Committee by Saki Kawashiro
An early copy of this novel was generously provided to me by the publisher for review. However, the above review consists of my honest opinion of the book and my opinion only.
