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In an exceptional first novel, Margaret Dilloway crosses continents, cultures, decades, and generations to tell the story of a Japanese woman who marries an American soldier at the end of World War II, her thorny relationship with her American daughter, and the trip to contemporary Japan that changes both of their lives in dramatic and unexpected way. How to Be An American housewife (G.P. Putnam's Sons; Publication Date: August 5, 2010; Price: $24,95) had its origins in the story of Dilloway's own mother, also a Japanese war bride, who died when the author was just twenty, leaving behind few details of the family, culture, and experiences that had shaped her.

In addition, Dilloway was inspired by a book called The American Way of Housekeeping, which her father gave to her mother early in their marriage. The book was filled with household tips as well as condescending cultural stereotypes, and not surprisingly, Margaret's mother tossed it aside. But when Margaret found it among her mother's possessions after her death, Margaret was struck with insight into her mother's life as a young bride trying to make her way in an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile society. Re-imagined by dilloway as How to Be an American housewife, this overbearing handbook becomes the source of poignant fictional excerpts like "Turning American." which opens her novel:

Once you leave Japan, it is extremely unlikely that you will return, unless your husband is stationed there again or becomes wealthy. Take a few reminders of Japan with you, if you have room. Or make arrangements to write to a caring relative who is willing to send you letters or items from your homeland. This can ease homesickness. And be sure to tell your family, "Sayonara."

Writing in the irrespressible, wry, and winning voice of Shoko Morgan, Dilloway chronicles her heroine's journey from a wealthy early childhood through economic upheaval, the trauma of the war years, and her bittersweet life as a wife and mother in the United States. During the war, suffering from frequent fear and hunger, Shoko and her siblings are strafed by American pilots and witness the atomic blast at Nagasaki. Seeing little opportunity in Japan's hidebound society and devastated economy after the conflict ends, Shoko takes a job in a hotel catering to American military personnel. Introduced to a variety of American men, she is drawn into a passionate affair that will haunt her for the rest of her life. but it is Charlie Morgan -- a quiet, unsophisticated, red-haired Irish-American from a Virginia coal mining town -- who is picked out by her father from a handful of photographs to be her husband.

Settling down with Charlie in San Diego, the headstrong Shoko strives to be the best housewife (and American) she can. Otherwise, she fears, she might be abandoned by her American husband, as so many other Japanese women have been. But it is not easy for her to adjust to a country where people sometimes stop and whisper, "There goes that Jap wife!" After a while, Shoko grows tired of her old stories and dreams, and stops talking about her Japanese past to her daughter, Sue. At thirty-two, the ever-obedient Sue knows that she has been something of a disappointment to her demanding, often impatient mother. As a divorced single mother working at a dull job just to survive, Sue has not fulfilled her highest aspirations or become the perfect American housewife, either. Su's older brother, Mike -- single, directionless, and still living with his parents -- has been even more of a disappointment and a worry to Shoko.

But Shoko has one small dream left: to return to Japan and reconcile with her brother and sole surviving sibling, Taro, who has never forgiven her for marrying an American. Yet with Shoko's heart condition worsening, her doctors have forbidden her to make the trip. Reluctantly, Sue agrees to go in her mother's place, accompanied by her twelve-year-old daughter, Helena. Arriving in Japan for the first time, Sue feels as if she has been dropped into an alternate universe, a sensation that only intensifies as she travels to the remote island of Shikoku. There, she meets her formidable uncle and his family, uncovering a series of secrets and surprises that utterly transform her understanding of her mother, herself, and life's possibilities. And at last, Sue understands the Japanese concept of tokidoki that her mother often invokes -- the way that fate can sometimes intervene, and fortune can turn on the drop of a pin.

Warm, smart, funny, wise, and moving, How to Be An American Housewife is peopled by indelible characters and propelled by a suspenseful, stirring story. It is at once an eye-opening glimpse into a hidden corner of American social history, a fascinating look at the experience of Japanese-American immigrants, a provocative exploration of the challenges faced by multiracial and multicultural families, a loving portrait of a marriage, a powerful universal story about mothers and daughters -- and a remarkable literary debut.

Margaret Dilloway grew up in San Diego and graduated from Scripps College. She has worked in a variety of careers, including writing, teaching, and acting, and has also performed improv comedy. She recently moved to Hawaii with her husband, a former Army Ranger, and their three young children. Her blog, "American Housewife," can be found at www.margaretdilloway.com