What kind of a people, she wondered, does what was done that day and then has no concept of the enormity of their act?
(from The Gods of Heavenly Punishment, page 339)
On the surface, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is a novel about the firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945 during World War II and a handful of people from different walks of life who are impacted by the war. But it goes so much deeper than that. Jennifer Cody Epstein introduces her characters before the war, when life was filled with promise, and lets readers follow them through the darkest days of the war and the period of change afterward.
The novel opens with Cam and Lacy on a ferris wheel at a fair in New York. Cam is shy and quiet from years of being ridiculed by his father for his stutter, while Lacy is a take-charge kind of woman who sets their relationship in motion. The hopes and dreams they have are put on hold when war breaks out, and Cam joins the U.S. Army Air Corps. Epstein has readers sit in the cockpit with Cam as he takes part in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942.
Epstein also introduces readers to Anton, the architect behind many of Tokyo’s modern structures who is later called on by the U.S. military to help destroy them. His son, Billy, is a sensitive soul who doesn’t fit in and feels at home only behind a camera. Hana, a passionate, modern woman who eschews the old Japanese ways, feels abandoned by the men she has loved and is resigned to a loveless, arranged marriage. Yoshi is torn between her love for her troubled mother and her need to escape the depression that permeates their home — and then the incendiary bombs rain down on Tokyo.
These characters were intriguing and their stories fascinating on their own, but when the pieces fell into place and the connections between them were made known, I was blown away. Epstein does a wonderful job painting a picture of Tokyo before and after and makes you feel like you are standing beside Yoshi when the bombs drop, feeling the heat, tasting the smoke, getting lost in all the chaos and confusion. She is a master storyteller, enabling readers to really get to know her characters as they flit in and out of their lives.
Epstein focuses on the contrasts that make war so complex: before vs. after, war vs. murder, orders vs. ethics, victors vs. victims, us vs. them. With characters that straddle both sides, she explores the gray areas of war and identity. Billy was born and raised in Japan but isn’t Japanese. Yoshi speaks Japanese, English, and French, thanks to her mother, Hana, who was educated in England and feels more English than Japanese. They desire love, acceptance, security, and to know their true selves — and the war makes their search for these essentials more desperate and necessary.
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is beautifully written and skillfully constructed. Epstein moves back and forth between the characters, telling seemingly separate stories, and while readers may not understand where she is taking them, they will be rewarded for their patience in the end. It’s not an easy book to read given the subject matter, and Epstein doesn’t flinch in her descriptions of the atrocities perpetrated by both sides. No book about war can be wrapped up neatly or painlessly, but Epstein manages to infuse the ending with hope. Tokyo is a symbol of these characters, who are brought down by their families and the war, and those who manage to survive will be reborn.
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for having me on The Gods of Heavenly Punishment tour. To follow the tour, click here.
Disclosure: I received The Gods of Heavenly Punishment from W.W. Norton & Company for review.
© 2013 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I would read it
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I hope you do! It’s so worth reading despite the difficult parts.
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I would definitely want to read this one.
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I hope you get a chance to read it soon!
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I loved this book, and I loved CAM, and his story broke my heart. This one was so well done.
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I loved Cam, too. I think the only character I didn’t like was Anton.
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And Kenji, of course.
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Just reading the description rattles me. It sounds like an amazing read. Sometimes I wonder if a story of this war can ever be told in a way that is new, but it sounds like maybe this one was.
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This one definitely was unique. And I’d never read anything about the Tokyo firebombing, so that was another draw.
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This sounds very interesting and emotional read. Have to keep this in mind.
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I do hope you decide to read it. I’ve loved Epstein’s writing since I read The Painter From Shanghai.
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Love the idyllic opening. A stark contrast to what the story is about.
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Yes. It really sets the stage for the horror you know is coming, and while we know what’s coming, the characters don’t, which makes it even more terrible.
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Terrific review, Anna … This book sounds really good!
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Thanks, Beth!
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This sounds like a good but difficult read. You got me all curious about the characters’ connection to one another that blew you away.
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I just thought it was so believable, which is hard to pull off in books like these.
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I love the cover. This sounds like a wonderful story. that I want to read.
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It does have a gorgeous cover.
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I loved this book as well! The stories were all interweaved so well.
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I’m glad to hear it. I was very impressed by the movement from one section to the next.
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What a wonderful surprise this one was. Epstein really does blend the stories and the time movement marvelously and makes readers think without being in your face.
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Yes, that is so true. The message and the images are so powerful, but thinking about them after the book is over packs an even bigger punch.
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I started this one this morning, and I am already sucked into it! Can’t wait to pick it up again tomorrow morning.
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The writing really does pull you right in.
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[…] Wednesday, May 15th: Diary of an Eccentric […]
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This sounds like an amazing read Anna! Thanks for being a part of the tour. I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page today.
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Thanks, Heather!
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I just read another great review of this one. Sounds like a stellar read!
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I thought so!
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I’ve seen so much love for this one and yours topped it for me. Even though it’s not my usual reading I’m adding it to my list!
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It does require a bit of patience, but it’s worth it to see how it all comes together.
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Oh, this sounds good. I will be on the lookout for it!
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I hope you get a chance to read it!
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