The Commoner

This audiobook has the feel of an epic--it spans years, rattles social structures, and explores personal trials. Janet Song's sedate performance only emphasizes the drama of this historical novel. With her calmly measured pace and careful enunciation, Song's dramatization of Haruko's journey from typical girl to wife of the Crown Prince of Japan seems even larger and more real. The listener is at Haruko's side as she copes with the considerable changes in her life with quiet strength. Exquisite and accessible to all listeners, Song's performance reveals fascinating, lifelike scenes. The glimpse of post-WWII Japan is interesting and informative without diminishing the power of Haruko's story and Song's calm vocals. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

March 31, 2008
Schwartz's novel of the young woman, not of royal heritage, chosen to marry Japan's crown prince after WWII, is a delicate portrait of a simultaneously blessed and circumscribed existence. The book is written in the first person, making a female reader the obvious choice, and Janet Song rises to the occasion. Song's voice—hushed, placid, deeply gentle—lends a minimalist beauty to Schwartz's novel. Song thankfully skips the accents and stylized voices, choosing to emphasize a careful, vigorous reading that conveys a (perhaps stereotypically Western) sense of Japanese calm. The result is a deeply soothing reading. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday/Talese hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 22, 2007).

Starred review from October 22, 2007
Schwartz bases his finely wrought fourth novel on the life of Empress Michiko of Japan, the first commoner to marry into the Japanese imperial family. Haruko Tsuneyasu grows up in postwar rural Japan and studies at Sacred Heart University, where she excels—particularly and fatefully—at tennis, which provides her entrée to the crown prince, whom she handily beats in an exhibition match. After more meetings on and off the court, the prince asks Haruko to marry him. Persuaded by their mutual attraction and by assurances that the break with tradition will usher in a modern era, Haruko ultimately agrees, against her father’s wishes, to become the first commoner turned royal. But, as her father had feared, her freedom and ambition suffer under the stifling rituals of court life. Eventually, Haruko succumbs to the inescapable judgment of the empress and her entourage, falling mute after the birth of her son, Yasuhito. Though the narrative loses some of its life after Haruko marries—perhaps mirroring Haruko’s experience within the palace walls—urgency returns after Haruko chooses a wife for Yasuhito; the marriage tests Haruko’s dedication to the crown. Schwartz (Reservation Road) pulls off a grand feat in giving readers a moving dramatization of a cloistered world.

This detailed and thought-provoking tale is the heartfelt coming-of-age story of Haruko, a Japanese woman who becomes a princess but lives a shrouded existence. Narrator Janet Song perfectly captures Haruko's innate despair and loneliness. Song's voice brings listeners into the novel and commands their emotions from start to finish. Breathing life into Schwartz's work, Song makes it memorable by seeming to become Haruko. The immediacy of the production makes it sound so much like a recorded private journal that listeners may find themselves feeling like they're eavesdropping. This is narration at its very best--and an emotional journey to say the least. L.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine