Diane Hawley Nagatomo

Author

Diane Hawley Nagatomo was born in the UK and lived in Nebraska, Spain, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and California before coming to Japan in 1979. She is a semi-retired professor from Ochanomizu University and has written extensively on issues concerning gender, culture, and education. When not teaching or writing, she and her Japanese husband of more than 40 years spend time with their six grandchildren. The Butterfly Café, published in July...

Books

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The Making of Us

“A warm and tender story about love in Japan that leaps over seemingly insurmountable obstacles and crosses cultures. A+” –Suzanne Kamata, author of Cinnamon Beach and River of Dolls

After her cheating fiancé dumps her a few days before their wedding, Rose Millstone applies for an English teaching job in Japan, taking her as far away from the...

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Finding Naomi

“A delightful novel by a skilled storyteller, Japan and the American Midwest blend seamlessly in this fast-paced modern-day fairy tale.” –Karen Hill Anton, author of A Thousand Graces

Stuck in a dead-end bar job in central Tokyo and barely making ends meet, Naomi Kihara’s life turns upside down when her American father, whom she hasn’t seen...

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The Butterfly Café

Set in modern-day Tokyo, The Butterfly Café tells the story of American Jessie Yamada. When her emotionally-abusive husband suddenly dies in a traffic accident, she is overcome with guilt because while making plans to leave him, she had often thought how much easier it would be for her if he were dead. Those feelings quickly shift to shock and...

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Praise

"The Butterfly Café" presents a fully contemporary view of Japan, with vividly drawn complicated characters, while imparting fascinating glimpses of the country’s history. But most of all, it’s a
celebration of second chances and found families. Also, there are cookies. This is the novel I’ve been waiting for.

– –Suzanne Kamata, author of award winning "The Baseball Widow" and "Cinnamon Beach"

“The Butterfly Café" is a compulsive page-turner that radiates a warm humanity. It’s a tale that just may go some way towards restoring your faith in your fellow human beings in these troubled times.

– –Lea O’Harra, author of "Dead Reckoning" and "Sayonara My Sweet"

With engaging characters, and more than a sprinkling of Japanese history, customs, and family relations, "The Butterfly Cafe" is a great read.

– –Rebeca Otowa, author of "The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Stories"

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