The American Letters of a Japanese Parlor Maid (1905) is a novel by Yone Noguchi. Styled as a fascinating tell-all written by a young Japanese tourist, Noguchi’s novel is the sequel to The American Diary of a Japanese Girl (1901). Composed with the assistance of Léonie Gilmour and Blanche Partington, The American Letters of a Japanese Parlor Maid was Noguchi’s second novel and a major departure from his poetry at the time. An 18-year-old Japanese woman going by the name Miss Morning Glory embarks on a journey from her native country to the United States. Accompanied by her uncle, a wealthy industrialist, Morning Glory arrives in San Francisco via steamship. She eventually makes her way to New York City, where she becomes interested in the lives of the working class and decides to test the waters of the American Dream for herself. Despite her fortunate background, she settles for a role as a parlor maid. With her abundant wit and humorous outlook, Morning Glory records in her letters a foreigner’s view of American life, all of its traditions, quirks, frustrations, and glorious delusions. Through her eyes we see the country in a strange new light, perhaps more truth than fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Yone Noguchi’s The American Letters of a Japanese Parlor Maid is a classic of Japanese American literature reimagined for modern readers.
