The Inheritors is a collection of interconnected stories about individual history and its legacy. It is about the choices we make and the impact of those choices have on following generations. It is also about the relationship between Japan and the US; the legacy of WWII and the Occupation and the impact that has had on the relationship between these two countries.

Despite its short length (259 p,) Serizawa unflinchingly examines the effects of war, imperialism, devastating loss, and the effects of suppressed and unreliable memories. Serizawa illustrates these themes with different stories like the story of an American family who is torn apart by the news that the father is not Japanese after all, but a Korean orphan who was adopted by his Japanese family in the chaos and aftermath of the war. Then there is the Japanese doctor, who years after the war must come to terms with the horrific consequences of his wartime scientific research. Or the story of an underage Japanese boy who enlists without his parents knowledge and goes to war under an assumed name. With each story, Serizawa adds layers to our understanding of the effects of war, the effects of the moral compromises we make under unendurable situations and the way these events affect lives in succeeding generations.

Serizawa is a master storyteller and several of these individual stories have won awards. Yet the the whole is more than any one story and the way they intertwine and compliment each other is quite powerful. I hope that we hear more from this impressive and deeply thoughtful writer!

Brenda’s Rating: *****(5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Ken and Keith

Book Study worthy: Yes- almost mandatory!

Read in ebook format.