As bombs fall on Japanese-occupied Taiwan during World War II, Saburo, the neglected third son of a powerful family, escapes his disapproving parents to wander alone in the rice paddies. During an air raid, he meets a mysterious girl named Yoshiko and her brother; their tenderness toward each other leaves a deep impression on Saburo. As Saburo works his way through school, dreaming of studying engineering in the United States, he longs to see Yoshiko again. But when he finally encounters her, she is dating his eldest brother.
Julie Wu's beautifully written debut novel, The Third Son, evokes the sounds and smells of occupied Taiwan, where many families adopted Japanese names, as well as the tenuous, fearful political atmosphere. Even as Saburo travels to America to attend graduate school, Chinese Nationalist agents and intrigue continue to follow him. As he adjusts to a completely different way of life, Saburo feels the pull of his family obligations back in Taiwan. Will he and Yoshiko ever be free of their duties to their parents?
Saburo is a bright, inquisitive soul whose gentle spirit somehow escapes being hardened by his difficult childhood. While he struggles to cast off the weight of filial piety, he also forges a new path for himself in true American fashion. Yoshiko's spirit, more mercurial but equally determined, provides a perfect counterpoint to Saburo's personality.
Vivid and moving, The Third Son asks important questions about familial duty, responsibility and the ramifications of our actions for those we love. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams