Mika in Real Life

by Emiko Jean · 2022

When Mika Suzuki’s life unravels at thirty‑five—her latest job gone, a recent breakup in ashes, and her traditional parents constantly disappointed—she receives a call that could change everything. Penny Calvin, the teenage daughter Mika placed for adoption sixteen years ago, wants to know her birth mother. Desperate to be the mother Penny deserves, Mika spins a small white lie that quickly snowballs into an elaborate façade of success, stability, and romance. As she navigates this invented life, the truth of her hopes, flaws, and Japanese heritage remains painfully real. A witty, heartfelt story about second chances, the messy path to self‑acceptance, and the unexpected ways love can rewrite our narratives.