📚46【The Morning My Daughter Leaves the Nest】I can't empathize, but... 939

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The Morning My Daughter Leaves the Nest

Yuki Ibuki (Born in Mie Prefecture in 1969, graduated from Chuo University Faculty of Law, worked at a publishing company before debuting in 2008 after winning the Poplar Publishing Novel Award Special Prize)

Bungeishunju 386 pages
First edition 2024/5/10 (Serialized in 9 newspapers including the Chugoku Shimbun from 2022/1 to 2024/2, the author's first newspaper novel)

After seeing newspaper advertisements, book reviews, and author interviews, I jumped at it thinking, "This looks interesting!!"
I read it.
An easy-to-read writing style.
It contains a moderate amount of turmoil, making it easy to keep reading.
I think it would be perfect for a screen adaptation.
I think it is interesting.
However, unfortunately, it didn't quite resonate with me.
These are my personal impressions.

Mana is the only daughter of kimono dressing instructor Tomoko and salaryman Kenichi.
Her fiancé Yugo (an only son) is a petit-celebrity.
His mother is Marco, a former charismatic blogger.
His father is Kankan, who disseminates information online as a Happy Retirement Facilitator.

Regarding Mana and Yugo's marriage, Marco and Kankan use the power of money to aggressively seize control.
Tomoko and Kenichi feel increasingly depressed and intimidated by the difference in financial power and the number of guests.
Perhaps due to his privileged upbringing, Yugo neglects to make an effort to empathize with Mana's feelings.
Geez!! Everyone, wake up!!

Mana's mother, Tomoko, is hurt by the mounting pressure from Yugo's mother, Marco.
"She doesn't mean any harm, so please forgive her."Yugo tells Mana.
When Mana once said, "It's annoying," Yugo made a hurt expression, saying, "You don't have to say it like that."
"I'm sorry,she doesn't mean any harm.
Yugo, how would you feel if someone said that to you?
If I marry you, I'll be subjected to your mother's (Marco's) verbal abuse like this from now on.
While being told 'she doesn't mean any harm'".
I couldn't help but slap my knee at Mana's words.
My ex-husband H implicitly told me to endure it by saying, "She's my mother, you know?" buteven if there is no malice, there is a limit to endurance.

Apart from the main plot, the couple's relationship between Tomoko and Kenichi, Kenichi's faint romantic feelings, relatives, and nursing care issues are intertwined in a modern way.
Along with the future of the Mana and Yugo couple, the path chosen by the Tomoko and Kenichi couple is (just a little) interesting.

To Mana, who has a complex about Yugo, her mother Tomoko says, "Your father (Kenichi) said that Mana has something precious that money can't buy."
When Mana heard that it was "health, intelligence, and culture," she was disappointed and hung her head deeply.
Why are you disappointed??
These aren't things you can easily acquire even if you wish for them.

As his mandatory retirement age approaches, Kenichi unconsciously becomes moody, speaks less, and sighs almost every day.
He finds Tomoko, who left home after leaving divorce papers, and suggests, "Let's go home and talk."
Kenichi, who never used violence or verbal abuse, worked diligently, and accepted Tomoko's hobbies, cannot understand the feelings of Tomoko who left home.


To Kenichi, who says, "There are many husbands in the world who are worse than me," Tomoko retorts.
Tomoko says, "Are you telling me to endure it because there are people in the world who are having a harder time than me?
Other people are other people, and we are us.
Since you don't seem to understand, I'll say it clearly,moodiness is a form of violence.
It is silent violence."
Exactly!! Exactly!!
No to sighing!! No to clicking your tongue!! No to audible muttering!! No to ignoring!!
H, what is needed is dialogue, although it's too late now.


For her first newspaper novel, the author set "love and money" as the theme so that a wide range of people would be interested.
What came to mind as the moment when love and money collide was "marriage and wedding expenses."
By involving not only the couple themselves but also parents and relatives, it becomes possible to develop a story that transcends generations.

To Marco and Kankan, who force their wedding plans on them, the couple says, "A normal ceremony is fine."
The "normal" that the author thinks of is clear.
"People have a range of what they can and cannot tolerate, and the midpoint is normal.
Since it differs from person to person, it's a tragedy if you don't use words to reconcile where they intersect.
Money and love are even more so."
Yes, yes, that's exactly right!!

I wanted to get away from my mother as soon as possible.
Family background aside, my ex-husband H personally had no savings.
I didn't need an engagement ceremony, a ring, a wedding ceremony, a reception, or a honeymoon, so I wanted to put that money toward living expenses.


The opinions of my in-laws, my own parents, and the two of us didn't always match.
Usually, against the pushiness of my in-laws,H would pressure me to give in, saying, "They're my parents."and that stance was expected of me even after we got married and after we had children.
Ugh, how annoying.

Mana and Yugo have different family financial backgrounds and social recognition.
After turmoil, they break off their engagement once, but they confirm each other's feelings and choose to join hands again.
Are you really sure? The essence won't change.
As a meddlesome person, I want to put a stop to it.
I wonder if good-natured readers will sigh with relief, thinking, "Oh, that's good."

Even though it's a marriage between only children, they are a daughter and son of a good age.
I understand they are precious, butaren't the parents meddling a bit too much?
It's not that it's not interesting, but to me,it's creepy.
I'm definitely not jealous, though.
(10/24)

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