Nobuko, Volume 1

Nobuko comes to New York with her father, eager for a life larger than the one her family has planned for her. The city offers museums, unfamiliar streets, university classrooms, and the possibility of discovering what she wants to become.

At a gathering of Japanese students, she meets Tsukuda, an older scholar of ancient languages. His reserve and isolation awaken her curiosity, then her affection. As influenza spreads and the First World War ends, their growing attachment raises difficult questions about trust, independence, marriage, and the place of work in a shared life.

When Nobuko returns to Japan, her family’s expectations meet the convictions she has formed abroad. Affection and suspicion mingle as she tries to defend a future chosen with her own hands.