Michelle Herbert reviews Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima…
Territory of Light was written and set in 1970’s Japan and is split into twelve segments that move from piece to piece picking up the plot sometimes months after the last section ended. We follow the story of a woman who finds herself having to find a new apartment for herself and her daughter. This is due to her husband deciding that they should separate so that he can find himself!
This is a story of discovery, but it is not a story about the woman’s husband, rather it is about this woman redefining her life, and seeing what works and doesn’t work. She has to cope with a small child, as well as having to deal with other people’s negative perceptions of what a single mother is. There are a lot of social conventions told throughout the story, but even though the story is old, it still resonates today.
She accepts the inevitable even though she has not been given a choice about being alone. The story feels more like she is discovering her freedom for the first time. As she finds herself a new apartment, the first place she has been able to call her own. She is not shattered by her new circumstances, even if she didn’t want this to be her life. You can see the relief she feels in being able to to make her own decisions. On the face of it, she is happier without her husband, who is portrayed as selfish and childish even though she has given him everything he wants.
There is a sadness to this story, that reflects her loneliness. She only seemed to have friends through her marriage, rather than for herself, so she has no one to turn to when things are difficult and when she needs someone to help her. She hides her singleness from the people at her daughter’s daycare. But also doesn’t seem to realise that her drinking is burgeoning on alcoholism. The saddest thing is that she doesn’t have a voice to tell anyone how she feels or even knows how to express herself if there was anyone listening.
She is overwhelmed, by circumstances that are out of her control but also hinders herself, by some of the choices she makes. This is reflected in her attitudes to her child as she swings between intense love and loathing for her daughter. Her daughter is too young to understand what her mother is going through, but is also affected by every decision her parents make. The daughter seems like quite a nightmare at times, but then so does her mother. Which makes the narrative really compelling.
This is a beautifully written book, that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to people. I really enjoyed how time jumps forward, but also flows backwards as the narrator recounts the past that was missed when moving to a new section. I also really enjoyed the way that colour is used in this book. As the colours interact amidst the vignettes, but also reflect the mood of the main character, from hopeful and bright reds to sparkling silvers to more reflective blues and greys.
Michelle Herbert
