""A Sexy Japanese Hero""

Claire is working on her dissertation. She is interested in translating the ancient books of Japan and speaks fluent Japanese. She is assigned to teach the new Japanese baseball pitcher, Kentara Ikuta, English as well as be his translator until he learns the language. She must help him communicate with the media who is very interested in the new foreign baseball player. Claire is to be the 'words' of the pitcher.

Kentara has had several translators who did not translate to his satisfaction. He found that Claire was conversant in all things Japanese so he quickly felt safe with her. They were very attracted to each other but when Kentara realized that his father had arranged a marriage for him in Japan, he was torn between obeying his father and obeying his heart.

I have really been looking forward to reading THE WORDS OF THE PITCHER. What a nice change, to have a Japanese hero. I must say I am very disappointed in the book. The dialog is stilted, the purple prose disconcerting and the writing very uneven. Also, do fathers still really arrange marriages in modern Japan? That seems unbelievable.

On the positive side, I really enjoyed a Japanese hero. The only other book that I have read with a Japanese hero is Maynard E. Thomson's DREAMS OF GOLD, which I highly recommend. I also enjoyed learning a few things about Japan, the language in particular. I do hope we will have more Japanese heroes in our romances. I do commend the Red Slipper Romance line for giving us something new and different.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted August 19, 2001

Summary

Words Of The Pitcher is the second edition of Genesis Press' Red Slipper Line, a romance line with Asian or Asian-American heroes and heroines. Kentaro Ikuta is the first Japanese national signed to play baseball in the major league. This new pitching phenomenon has every sportswriter clamoring for an interview but there is just one problem. Kentaro doesn't speak English! To clear this hurdle, the Cleveland Indians' turn to Case Western Reserve University and doctoral candidate, Claire Ferris, who reluctantly becomes his translator and English teacher, to in effect, become Kentaro's 'words' to the world. Little did anyone know the two would fall in love, challenging Kentaro's heriatge. According to custom, he left an arranged engagement of marriage behind in Japan. Thus, he must make a decision which will either betray his culture or his heart.