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The Gods of Heavenly Punishment A Novel Jennifer Cody Epstein Books

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The Gods of Heavenly Punishment A Novel Jennifer Cody Epstein Books

I knew this book was not going to be a romance novel -- quite suddenly -- at the end of Chapter 3. (No spoilers: not a romance.) There are very few happy endings, but that could be expected, from a story set mostly in Japan, 1935 - 1945.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is historical fiction, "another" WWII novel, but very different: WWII through the glass, darkly, from the perspective of characters, both American and Japanese, in Japan. It is a unique perspective on Japanese-American relations and interaction before, during and after The Day That Will Live In Infamy (December 7, 1941) and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945.

In a novel you can't put down, we follow the deeply interwoven stories of a young Japanese girl, Yoshi Kobayashi, and Billy Reynolds, an American young man born in Japan -- their two families connected by the fathers' construction projects in 1930s Tokyo -- and a brave Army Air Force pilot who participates in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942.

At times gut-wrenching, Jennifer Cody Epstein masterfully includes authentic details from painstaking research, and offers fascinating glimpses of historic figures and events. WWII, again, but with so many facets we never learned about in high school.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is, in many ways, horrible, but brilliant. Epstein casts a haunting spell, this book will stay with you.

-- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at RebelHousewife.com
Co-Author, The Rebel Housewife Rules: To Heck With Domestic Bliss!


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The Gods of Heavenly Punishment A Novel Jennifer Cody Epstein Books Reviews

I was born in the early 40's when so much of the story took place. My father was a consummate reader. One of his subscriptions was to an annual series of books about specific events that occurred in a given year. The book that I recall was filled with pictures of events leading up to and concluding with the wars with Germany and Japan. I can still close my eyes and see the pictures of the incredible carnage, both Japanese and American induced. "The Gods.." brought out the humanity on both sides. Families dealing with incredible issues, families doing what so many do, trying to get through each day. A must read.
I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but like Jennifer's last book, which I also loved, I found myself completely swept up in a different time and place. Her knowledge of Japan and it's history made me feel like I was there and I truly cared about each of the characters. She does it so subtly with the language, inside the homes and in the culture that I became transported in to the world she created. The devastating event in history was powerful and horrifying to read, while she was able to share perspectives from both sides of the war with uncanny empathy. Another reviewer mentioned that there was too much early development but i totally disagree. I felt that was one of the best parts of the book, getting to know each person and developing an appreciation for Tokyo that i wouldn't have had without it. I highly recommend reading this if you want to get lost in the world of fiction, while also learning something at the same time. Who could ask for more than that?
Jennifer Cody Epstein's far-reaching novel envelops you in the lives and worlds of six protagonists, all directly affected by the American firebombing of Tokyo in WWII. With a deep understanding of the events and cultures of this period, Epstein weaves an incredibly compelling novel with suspenseful narrative and rich prose. Somehow, she writes with an authoritative and balanced voice for both the American and Japanese characters, and lets the details lead readers to their own conclusions about war, and this war.

Normally, a novel set in Asia during WWII wouldn't be my first choice, but I so enjoyed Epstein's first piece of historical fiction, "The Painter from Shanghai," that I was excited to try this as well. "Heavenly Punishment" has a more complicated structure than the first novel, balancing many characters and time periods, and it does so successfully. I was enrapt in particular by the characters of Hana, and Cam Richards and his wife, and was left with tear-filled eyes after the chapter on Tokyo during the firebombing. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy history, a thought-provoking read, or simply a good story, as all three are beautifully delivered here.
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is a wonderful book. It tells the story of World War II mostly from the Japanese point of view. Most of the action focused not on the military but the civilians, Japanese and American, who are affected by the war. Much of it is about the horrors of war the atrocities, the execution of a downed American pilot, the civilians in the fire bombing of Tokyo. It follows a number of characters through the years (1935 to 1962). I found their stories very moving.
I was immediately drawn into the story with characters I could care about. At first I was put off by scene changes every chapter but then I began to see that each chapter was important to the story telling and I knew it would eventually bring me back to the characters I cared about in Chapter one. I really couldn't wait to pick up the book and continue, although the truth of war is ugly and parts were hard to read, but it was always written with the truth of the story in mind. I was so engrossed in the book , I hadn't paid any attention to the pages I had read and it seemed to me that the end came just a little too abruptly. I was not prepared to say good-bye to the characters yet and felt a little cheated I didn't get to know more about the lives of the original characters after waiting the whole book to get back to them. All in all a very good read if you like war stories
I knew this book was not going to be a romance novel -- quite suddenly -- at the end of Chapter 3. (No spoilers not a romance.) There are very few happy endings, but that could be expected, from a story set mostly in Japan, 1935 - 1945.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is historical fiction, "another" WWII novel, but very different WWII through the glass, darkly, from the perspective of characters, both American and Japanese, in Japan. It is a unique perspective on Japanese-American relations and interaction before, during and after The Day That Will Live In Infamy (December 7, 1941) and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945.

In a novel you can't put down, we follow the deeply interwoven stories of a young Japanese girl, Yoshi Kobayashi, and Billy Reynolds, an American young man born in Japan -- their two families connected by the fathers' construction projects in 1930s Tokyo -- and a brave Army Air Force pilot who participates in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in 1942.

At times gut-wrenching, Jennifer Cody Epstein masterfully includes authentic details from painstaking research, and offers fascinating glimpses of historic figures and events. WWII, again, but with so many facets we never learned about in high school.

The Gods of Heavenly Punishment is, in many ways, horrible, but brilliant. Epstein casts a haunting spell, this book will stay with you.

-- Sherri Caldwell, Humor Columnist & Reviewer at RebelHousewife.com
Co-Author, The Rebel Housewife Rules To Heck With Domestic Bliss!