Set in 1940-1960 Japan, Fifty Words for Rain follows the life of Noiko "Nori" Kamiza, the biracial, illegitimate daughter of an aristocratic Japanese family, as she grows from a child of eight to a woman of 24. A close third-person narration centers on Nori's perspective, but occasional first-person narration from other characters augment her point of view. Themes of obedience, traditional, and music weave through the novel as Nori learns to find her own path and voice.
