Mountaineering for Women

In the heat of midsummer, at dawn, a heavily pregnant young woman named Takiko departs on foot for the hospital to give birth to a baby boy. Her pregnancy, the result of a brief casual affair with a married man, is a source of sorrow to her parents. However, for Takiko, it is a natural state of being, even a cause for reverie. She imagines her baby, Akira, will be hers and hers alone, a challenge but also an instrument for her long-wished-for independence.

Unsuited to the typical domesticity of motherhood, Takiko sets out to raise her son on her own terms, struggling as a single mother to find a job that will pay for his daycare and allow her to begin saving for her own apartment, away from her abusive and shaming parents. "Woman Running in the Mountains" is a profoundly atmospheric novel, attuned to place, light, and weather. A porousness of self and surroundings attends Takiko's first year as a mother, filled with the intense bodily pleasures and pains that come from caring for a newborn, learning how to make room for Akira, how to accommodate him physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

At first, Takiko seeks refuge in the company of other women, in the maternity hospital, in her son's nursery; but as Akira grows, her life becomes less circumscribed, expanding outwards into previously unknown neighborhoods in her city, and then beyond, into the countryside, toward a mountain that captures her imagination and feeling for a wilder freedom. "Woman Running in the Mountains" is as urgent and necessary an account today of the experience of the female body and of a woman's right to self-determination.

First published in Japan in 1980, the novel offers a profound exploration of Takiko's journey as a single mother, navigating the challenges and joys of motherhood on her own terms. The narrative is deeply immersed in the sensory experiences of Takiko's life, capturing the physical and emotional transformations she undergoes as she adapts to her new role. The story's setting, from the bustling city to the serene countryside, serves as a backdrop for Takiko's personal growth and her search for a sense of independence and belonging.

Through Takiko's eyes, the novel confronts societal expectations and constraints placed on women, particularly in the realm of motherhood. Takiko's unwavering determination to raise her son according to her own principles, despite the disapproval of her parents, is a testament to her strength and resilience. The narrative delves into the complexities of Takiko's relationships, both with her family and the wider community, as she navigates the challenges of single parenthood.

The atmospheric and sensory-rich writing in "Woman Running in the Mountains" transports the reader into Takiko's world, allowing us to experience the ebb and flow of her life as a new mother. The novel's exploration of the female experience, both physical and emotional, resonates with a timeless and universal quality, making it a poignant and relevant work that continues to captivate readers across generations and cultures.

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