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A Bridge for Passing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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A Bridge for Passing is a memoir by American writer Pearl S. Buck, published in April 1962 by the John Day Company. It chronicles her experiences in Japan in 1960, where she worked on a film adaptation of her 1948 book The Big Wave while coping with the grief of losing her husband, Richard J. Walsh.
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Background and contents
In 1960, Buck visited Japan for the first time in 25 years, to prepare a film adaptation of her 1948 book The Big Wave. During this period, her husband and publisher, Richard J. Walsh, died in the United States.[2] Buck wrote letters while working on the film that executives from Allied Artists (the film's American financier) encouraged her to compile into a book, leading to the creation of A Bridge for Passing.[3]
Set against the backdrop of postwar Japan, the book reflects both personal loss and the cultural milieu of the time (including the Westernization of Japanese women's customs).[2] The book's title is a reference to the death of her husband and Buck's goal of building a "bridge between the west and east".[4]
Names of individuals are rarely mentioned in the book, and Buck often states their ethnicity and occupation instead. She notably refers to Walsh as "he" within the book.[5]
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Publication and reception
A Bridge for Passing received widespread acclaim.[6] It was first published in the December 1961 issue of McCall's.[7] The Chicago Tribune and Kirkus Reviews published reviews on April 1, 1962, collectively praising its poignant autobiographical narrative and insights on grief and Japanese culture.[4][8] A Bridge for Passing was officially published as a book the following day, by the John Day Company.[1][8] Coincidentally, later that same month, The Big Wave opened in selected American theaters.[2]
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References
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