In the Heart of the Valley of Love by Cynthia Kadohata
**Overview of "In the Heart of the Valley of Love" by Cynthia Kadohata**
"In the Heart of the Valley of Love" is a futuristic novel set in Los Angeles during the 2050s, narrated by a young girl named Francie. Following the death of her African American father and Japanese mother from cancer, Francie moves in with her aunt in a city marked by severe decline. The narrative paints a picture of a Los Angeles struggling with extreme socio-economic disparities, where the population is predominantly made up of nonwhites and poor whites, and where pollution has led to unfamiliar diseases. The city is depicted as a place of despair, characterized by widespread corruption, lawlessness, and societal unrest, with rioting becoming commonplace.
As Francie navigates this bleak landscape, she faces the challenge of finding her identity and purpose amidst the chaos. Her aunt's personal turmoil, stemming from the disappearance of her boyfriend, adds to Francie's sense of instability and drift. However, as Francie attends community college and interacts with her peers, she begins to shift her cynical outlook on life and love. Ultimately, the novel explores themes of hope and renewal, suggesting that even in a seemingly hopeless environment, there exists the potential for regeneration and positive transformation. The contrast between despair and hope is embodied in Francie's reflection on the future, leaving readers to ponder the legacy of the era.
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In the Heart of the Valley of Love by Cynthia Kadohata
First published: 1992
The Work
In the Heart of the Valley of Love is a futuristic novel depicting life in Los Angeles in the 2050’s. Narrated by Francie, who comes to stay with her aunt in Los Angeles after she loses her African American father and Japanese mother to cancer, the novel portrays the decline of the once-prosperous city.
The picture that Francie draws of Los Angeles in the 2050’s is clearly based on the demographical changes in California and the widening chasm between the rich and the poor in the 1990’s. Kadohata envisions a bleak city where the nonwhites and poor whites make up 64 percent of the population and where extreme pollution causes unusual and unheard-of diseases. Shortages of all essential commodities have led to rationing of water and gas; corruption and lawlessness among officials is widespread. The city is clearly divided into the areas of haves and have-nots, and rioting by unhappy citizens is commonplace.
It is no surprise then that this city of despair is inhabited by “expressionless people.” Young people lead undisciplined lives in the absence of responsible adults in their lives. They tatoo their faces and their bodies—a way of “obliterating themselves,” according to the narrator.
Francie, too, is affected by the times. Her adoptive family is disintegrated after Rohn, her aunt’s boyfriend, disappears. It is suspected that he has been arrested by the authorities. As her aunt risks her life and devotes all her time to tracing him, Francie drifts, like her young peers. She joins a community college where there are several other men and women in their twenties and thirties keeping themselves occupied in aimless activities. Eventually, she overcomes her cynical approach to love and life in general, for amid the ruins she sees signs of renewal of the land.
Francie observes at the end of the novel: “I didn’t know whether, a hundred years from now, this would be called The Dark Century or The Century of Light. Though others had already declared it the former, I hoped it would turn out to be the latter.” Her comment does little to diminish the chilling picture of a possible future for Los Angeles.
Bibliography
Blackford, Staige D. Review of In the Heart of the Valley of Love, by Cynthia Kadohata. Virginia Quarterly Review 69 (January, 1993): SS21. Discusses the social and chronological setting of the novel, laying particular emphasis on the depiction of scarcity and poverty in the future Southern California.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Interview by Lisa See and Sybil Steinberg. Publishers Weekly 239 (August 3, 1992): 48-49. Kadohata talks about both The Floating World and In the Heart of the Valley of Love. She also discusses her personal and educational background, the artistic controversies and conundrums she has not been able to sidestep, and the source of her inspiration.
Li, Cherry W. Review of In the Heart of the Valley of Love, by Cynthia Kadohata. Library Journal 117 (June 15, 1992): 102. Centers on Kadohata’s depiction of an engaging young Asian American heroine. Also discusses Kadohata’s panoramic vision of a future society.
Quick, Barbara. Review of In the Heart of the Valley of Love, by Cynthia Kadohata. The New York Times Book Review, August 30, 1992, p. 14. Assesses Kadohata’s skill in creating a convincing representation of a dystopian future and of the characters who populate the novel’s fictional world.