At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by Ali Parker

About the author

Alli Parker is a Japanese-Australian author and screenwriter, with a background in script editing and script co-ordinating. Her debut historical fiction novel, At the Foot of the Cherry Tree, is a novelisation of the true story of Australia's first Japanese war bride and Alli's grandmother. She co-wrote episodes of crime drama series Jack Irish, romantic thriller series Secret Bridesmaids' Business and mystery telemovie series Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries. Her credits as a script editor and co-ordinator include Irreverent, Jack Irish series 1, 2, & 3, Shantaram, Secret Bridesmaids' Business, Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries, Ride Like A Girl, Sunshine, Please Like Me series 4 and Utopia series 1 & 2.

Review

A Stirring Story of Love and Hope. Better Reading, August 1, 2023. Better Reading.

A heart-warming emotional new story of forbidden love and family heartbreak from an unforgettable BookTok 2023 romance sensation debut author.

Based on the incredible true story of Australia’s first Japanese war bride and a love that changed a nation forever, At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is a stirring story of love and hope.

Gordon Parker is an eager eighteen-year-old Australian boy desperate to fight for his country, and Nobuko ‘Cherry’ Sakuramoto is a sixteen-year-old girl struggling to survive in Japan in the aftermath of World War II. But when they fall in love, they change the course of history.

When Gordon arrives in Japan, he expects ruthless samurai, angry Japanese men ready to kill Australians at every corner. Instead, he finds Cherry, terrified of ex-enemy soldiers, a survivor of the atomic bomb. Against all the rules and all the odds, they fall in love.

But when Gordon discovers the White Australia Policy prevents Cherry coming home with him as his war bride, he does what any 20-year-old soldier would do. He vows to fight. Leaving Cherry alone and pregnant in post-war Japan, Gordon has to convince his family to accept his marriage and wage a desperate campaign against a xenophobic and war-scarred government to allow his wife and children to come home.

A sweeping story spanning seven years and two countries reeling from the aftermath of war, At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is a moving novel about faith, trust, and the power of a love that alters history – written by Gordon and Cherry’s granddaughter, accomplished scriptwriter, Alli Parker.

It’s impossible not to feel swept up by the romance and epic heart of At the Foot of the Cherry Tree. What makes it all the more poignant, and all the more resonant, is that this masterful feat was accomplished by the hero and heroine’s very own granddaughter, Alli Parker. She’s been busily working as a screenwriter for some of Australia’s most popular shows of recent years including Jack Irish, and Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.

Parker’s background as a screenwriter has provided her with a sound sense of narrative structure, an instinct for pace, a fearlessness to embrace emotion and the ability to pack a dramatic punch. She’s also in possession of an excellent ear for dialogue and a faithfulness to the vernacular of the day. It’s no wonder her breakout debut has become a BookTok sensation.

At the heart of all this is a love story for the ages between Cherry and Gordon. From their initial meeting where Gordon discovers a trembling Cherry hiding by the side of his bed, we’re aware they’re fated. We also know there’s a mountain of obstacles for them to overcome: lack of a common language and two nations recently divided by war being their first. Both Cherry and Gordon are provided with their own narratives in alternating chapters.

Parker has taken the time (a lifetime in her case) to research the characters, and post-war Japan with careful and considered detail. At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is a true testimony to love – the love between a couple, the love of a family, and the love of a Granddaughter bringing their story to the world.