The Japanese Lover

Little Alma Belasco's parents move her away in 1939, as Nazi forces encircle Poland, to live in safety with her aunt and uncle in their lavish San Francisco home. She meets Ichimei Fukuda, the calm and kind son of the family's Japanese gardener, there while the rest of the world is going to war. A delicate romance starts to develop, unseen by those around. Ichimei and his family are brutally torn apart after the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbour. Along with hundreds of other Japanese Americans, they are labelled enemies and sent to internment camps managed by the US government. Alma and Ichimei repeatedly come together during the course of their lives, but their love is one that they are compelled to keep a secret from everyone.

Alma is approaching the conclusion of her long and exciting life, decades later. At the endearingly quirky Lark House nursing facility in San Francisco, Irina Bazili, a carer who is having difficulty letting go of her own dark history, meets the old lady and her grandson, Seth. Irina and Seth become friends, and as they become closer, they are fascinated by a string of enigmatic presents and letters that Alma receives. This is how they ultimately find out about Ichimei and this incredible hidden romance that has lasted for over 70 years.