Summary

“Kenji’s notebook” is a flashback to the summer following Fiona’s first year of law school. Fiona visits her and Jasper’s friend Kenji at the hospital. She learns that he needs another surgery. Kenji suffers from throat and lung cancer.

Kenji’s primary means of communication is his notebook. It is in Kenji’s notebook that Fiona learned Jasper was cheating on her. Fiona and Jasper still live together but are broken up. Fiona breaks the news about Kenji to Jasper once she gets home.

As he lies on the futon, Kenji recalls meeting Helen at writing school. He avoided her, not wanting to associate with other Asians. One night at a bar, Helen criticized Jasper’s stories for only writing about white people. They wound up having sex that night. They continued to see each other for...