Multiethnic Literatures in the U.S.

In The Heart of the Valley of Love by Cynthia Kadohata is another apocalyptic novel, revealing the differences and troublesome of the future. When compared to The Parable of the Sower and The Parable of the Talents, it is a different surrounding, although it’s around the same time period. While reading the Asian American apocalyptic book, I am able to sense the desire for comfort, stability, and a sense of longing.

Kadohata presents a sense of desire for comfort, specifically through Francie, Aunt Annie, and Jewel. This comfort may be to belong to a family, fall in love, or just have a home that one can feel safe in. Though this passage is at the end of the book, Francie reveals her heart for Los Angeles through these lines, “Los Angeles was the only home either of us had known, and maybe this would be the only love we would ever know. For those reasons, I knew I would never leave Los Angeles” (225). This shows the readers that even with all the hardships, inflation, and all the “chaos” that’s going on in her life, that Los Angeles is a place where she is comfortable in. If she would have to move to another city, it would take time for her to meet new people and it would be harder for her to adjust to her new surroundings. Francie mentions that she never had friends in Los Angeles after moving in from Chicago until she went to school. The friends in her life, specifically her lover, Mark, show stability in her life. The love and relationship that builds between Mark and Francie brings a lot more than just an everyday relationship, but it brings comfort and stability in Francie’s life.

In another character such as Aunt Annie, the readers are able to see the hurt and trauma Aunt Annie has to face when she loses Rohn. Aunt Annie’s joy, comfort, and her character are lost when Rohn disappears. She falls into a time of misery. She has no love in her life, and she also has to run the business on her own. When Rohn disappears, Aunt Annie’s character is stripped down into emptiness. This emptiness soon turns into a longing for her love again, when she starts to look for Rohn until the end.

Kadohota also presents the longing of comfort and stability through Jewel. Jewel’s background with men is tough, and yet Jewel is always longing for that man, Teddy.
Teddy abuses her, even though it’s not clearly stated in the book, and he has always abused her before he went to jail. With all these trouble at hand, Jewel still takes Teddy back when she bails him out of jail. It seems as if Jewel just longs for love even when it brings her physical pain. Teddy represents the comfort and stability in her life, even with the abuse, although she realizes the truth at the end of the book.

Cynthia Kadohata presents the simple idea of comfort and belonging in her book. Comfort and a sense of belonging are what the characters long for. A simple relationship is taken so dearly in the book In the Heart of the Valley of Love.