Summary

In a series of journal entries, Ludo describes learning Japanese alongside Sibylla. On his sixth birthday, he asks his mother about his father’s identity and guesses that “he is somebody famous” (183). Every day, Ludo and Sibylla each choose a Japanese character to memorize. While Sibylla chooses logical, easy characters, Ludo opts for complex and little-used characters. Ludo reads travel books and practices various skills—such as cleaning fish and sleeping on the floor—to prepare for an adventure with his unknown father. As Ludo continues to pester his mother about his father, Sibylla gives him a cassette by Liberace (the musician), a painting by Lord Leighton, and a magazine article. She tells him he cannot know his father’s identity “until you can see what’s wrong with these things” and can feel “some state of grace beyond pity” towards them (190-...