by Kyoko Mori

Shizuko’s Daughter is a beautifully written novel that explores the Japanese culture through the eyes of a young woman. The book begins with a jolt; Yuki Okada’s mother is preparing for her suicide. Just as we are thrown into this story, Yuki is thrown out of her own life. Her mother was her best friend and her father remarries only after a year to a cruel and spiteful woman . After much heartache and tumbles, Yuki eventually learns to move on with her life.

Throughout this book there are many important objects that have important symbolic ties to Japanese culture (eg: sake, funeral wands, wedding wands, different flowers, cicadas, etc.). List the symbolic objects described in this book and research the history and symbolism behind them.