Gennaro Liguori was a well-respected coral trader in Kobe, Japan in 1919. He was originally from Torre del Greco, a commune in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. He was the first man ever to import cultured pearls — the famous Mikimoto Pearls — to Europe. Gennaro met Okachan, a simple country woman from Ondo — a small country town in the province of Hiroshima, Japan. It was a casual encounter. Gennaro was not in love with Okachan and did not marry her when Okachan became pregnant. Gennaro took on his new role as a father providing financial support to Okachan, but chose not to live with the family as that would impact his social status.

Baby Yaeko was born at the end of the 1920s. Yaeko did not understand why her mother acted strangely every time Gennaro visited the house. Okachan acted as if she was the servant of Yaeko. Yaeko’s unique mixed appearance was her biggest insecurity in life. At the end of World War II, Gennaro took Yaeko away from Okachan to Italy. That was heartbreaking for both Yaeko and Okachan. Gennaro had high aspirations for his daughter as he wanted her to pursue an education and eventually take over his successful pearl business. Yakeo was given a new language, a new life, and a new name. She never met her birth mother again.

Dorotea Liguori was Yaeko’s new name. How and why Dorotea tried hard to adapt to her new culture in Italy is written explicitly in her Eurasian Odyssey “YAEKO WILD CHERRY”. The Odyssey is translated from Italian to English by Alain Cohen. Dorotea’s melancholic tone permeates throughout the book. The description of the ambiance and the landscape of both Italy and Japan are quite tangible in the book. The romantic love which Dorotea always longed for was impossible to find. Her huge success in the pearl business as well as in hotel construction is a demonstration to readers of what a capable woman can do against all odds. As Shakespeare once said, “Why she is a pearl, whose price hath launched a thousand ships, and turned crowned kings to merchants.” Dorotea was a remarkable woman. Readers can expect “YAEKO WILD CHERRY” to show the art of living.