By Anfernee Chansamooth
Some books make history feel less distant and more human — Inheritors is one of them.
I picked up Inheritors because I’ve been thinking a lot about intergenerational trauma — how pain, choices, and silence ripple through families. The book promised “a kaleidoscopic portrait of five generations scattered across Asia and the United States”.
It took me just over eight hours, spread across multiple sittings, to complete the 409 pages. It was slow going at first, but I’m glad I stuck with it.
The story follows one family dealing with the consequences of war and how they shaped each generation. Each story shows how past decisions quietly influence the next. Some chapters drew me in right away; others required patience. But together, they form something that lingers.
What really caught my attention was the way Serizawa shifts her storytelling style. One chapter feels like traditional fiction, the next like a transcript or testimony. At first, it felt scattered, almost like a collection written by different authors. Later, I realised that was the point. Those shifts mirror the fractured, often unheard voices that war leaves behind.
Her writing is detailed and emotional — you can feel what each character is going through. Lines like “Her father closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were shiny with pain…” That line stayed with me. Some parts were heavy and slow to read, but the emotion still came through.
Inheritors isn’t an easy read. It asks you to slow down, to sit with discomfort. But if you care about how history seeps through generations, this one stays with you. We need more stories like this — honest, complex, and written by people brave enough to tell them like Asako Serizawa.
Feature Image: A powerful look at how the past echoes through generations. Photo: Anfernee Chansamooth
