96 APRIL 2020 http://www.writers-online.co.ukA
na Johns, a former
competitive martial artist,
studied journalism and
worked over twenty years
in the creative arts field
before turning her hand to fiction.
‘I’ve always loved writing but
didn’t attempt a full novel until a life-
changing diagnosis of multiple sclerosis
in 2008 provided the opportunity to
pursue it,’ she says.
‘To regain my mobility and health,
I sold my business, hired a nutritionist,
then started training with my two (then)
young boys in Okinawan karate, which
now makes me laugh. I couldn’t balance
so chose a sport that demanded it. My
goal was to keep our family’s focus on
something positive. It worked. My oldest
son and I travelled all over the country
competing in the professional karate
circuit while working toward our black
belts. Within two years, I earned the
title in kata forms for both national and
international divisions. I knew then I’d
won more than just trophies... I’d won
back my life. So, what was I going to do
with it? Write!
‘Now, as a full-time writer, I tend to
stick to a schedule. I’m up between 4 and
5am and most days hit the gym before
settling in at my desk. When our boys
were still at home, my workday ended
when they arrived home from school,
otherwise the interruptions were constant,
but now, as empty nesters I’ve found if
I’m in the zone I’ll just keep writing.’
Described as ‘a powerful and
heartbreaking literary debut’ The Woman
In The White Kimono is based on the
author’s own family story.
‘Several highpoints have occurred
with the book’s publication,’ Ana
continues. ‘Not only did we debut on
the Globe and Mail’s bestsellers list in
Canada, but the novel is still sitting on
across generations.
‘I endeavoured to make both
narratives as historically accurate in
both environment and social protocol
as possible. This research was labour
intensive, six years, with some days
only a single paragraph making it onto
the page. The internet was invaluable,
not only for its numerous articles and
resources, but for the ability to virtually
travel the world and meet those with
first-hand experience – US vets and
Japanese brides. But it was in finding
and meeting the one hundred adult
children born to Japanese women
and American servicemen who were
surrendered to the Elizabeth Saunders
Home orphanage in Japan that
made all the difference. To put it in
perspective, ten thousand babies were
born to Japanese women and American
servicemen before, during, and after
the occupation, but most didn’t survive.
They did.
‘While The Woman In The White
Kimono began with my father’s story and
evolved with characters inspired by US
military vets and the adoptees, it’s really
not a story about them so much as for
them. I hope they see it as a love letter.
One of hope and ultimately triumph
because they survived.’
Website: http://www.anajohns.comtheir historical fiction bestsellers list.
Another bright spot was the midwest
book tour my US publisher, Park Row
Books with Harper Collins/Harlequin,
sponsored. And when The Woman In
The White Kimono was chosen as a
BBC Radio2 Book Club Pick my UK
publisher, Legend Press, flew me to
London for the live interview. Such a
thrill! But the readers’ response to the
novel has been the absolute highlight.
I’ve received countless letters and
messages from people telling me the
novel resonated on a deeply personal
level. Learning their heart-breaking
stories has meant the world.
‘Although The Woman In The
White Kimono is a work of fiction,
it’s crafted from historical events, real
people, and true stories, including my
father’s story of the beautiful Japanese
girl he loved while enlisted in the US
Navy. Her family had invited him to a
traditional tea, but despite him learning
the required etiquette and practicing
his Japanese, upon meeting him, an
American sailor, they refused him as a
suitor. His story, and hundreds just like
it, inspired the novel.
‘The novel is told in dual narratives.
In the first, Tori Kovac in present-day
America, put her career as an investigative
reporter on hold to act as caregiver for
her dying father. When Tori finds and
reads a tattered letter covered in Japanese
symbols, she learns a shocking revelation- one that calls into question everything
she understood about her father, her
family, and herself.
‘In the second narrative, we unpack
the secrets of the letter and meet Naoko,
a seventeen-year-old Japanese girl in
post-WWII 1950s Japan. A time when
ancient traditions clashed with American
culture forcing unimaginable choices
with consequences that would ripple
ANA
JOHNS
Writing place
‘I’m fortunate to have a dedicated home offi ce where I
sit at a white French writing desk with a pretty tree-
lined view. A small chandelier from my old studio holds
sentiment and the light just so overhead and the walls
are lined with white bookcases, favourite novels, and
small framed photos of family and friends. Oh, and
the opposite wall is home to a large project table my
husband built for me with idea board. It’s a lovely place
to lose myself in a story and work.’The US writer tells Lynne Hackles how a
life-changing diagnosis led to a novel inspired
by real-life events linked to a little-known
era in US and Japanese historyMy Writing Day
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