Critical Praise

“How to Be an American Housewife is witty, rich, layered and so very satisfying. Dilloway's talent shines through from the very first page and I was terribly sorry when it ended. This was by far one of the best books I've read in ages.”

—Jane Porter, author of Easy on the Eyes

“How to Be an American Housewife is a triumphant debut novel. Margaret Dilloway gives us the most original, endearing, courageous and enduring narrator I've read in a long time. Shoko's voice is one of a kind, yet as familiar as advice from your own mother. I found myself cheering for her on every step of her epic journey from wartime Japan to modern-day America. Her unforgettable story of triumph, tragedy, disappointment and joy will stay with me long after the last page is turned.”

—Susan Wiggs, author of Just Breathe

“In How to Be an American Housewife Margaret Dilloway creates an irresistible heroine. Shoko is stubborn, contrary, proud, a wonderful housewife and full of deeply conflicted feelings. I wanted to shake her, even as I was cheering her on, and this cunningly structured novel allowed me to do both. It also took me on two intricate journeys, from post-war Japan and the shadow of Nagasaki to contemporary California, and from motherhood to daughterhood and back again. A profound and suspenseful debut.”

—Margot Livesey, author of The House on Fortune Street

“A tender and captivating novel of family secrets and redemption, and a compelling look at the complex love languages spoken within three generations of a family.”

—Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet