Margaret Dilloway grew up in San Diego, California, the daughter of a Japanese mother and an American father (of Irish-Welsh origin, if you must know). A writer since she could wield a pencil and make coherent words, Margaret dabbled in other art forms, including a major in Studio Art at Scripps College. After college, she worked as Contributing Editor for two weekly newspapers; wrote and sold BLUETOOTH FOR DUMMIES (canceled, but used the money for LASIK so it wasn’t a total loss); and did a lot of random online writing and mystery shopping to bring in income while she watched over her three kids and improved her fiction writing.
She lives in San Diego with her children and husband, a former Army Ranger (known as Cadillac on this blog). Cadillac is rather like Mr. Darcy, because he appears very stern but he’s sweet inside (well, really only to his wife. Who I am, though I’m writing about myself in third person).
Check out 20 Random Things to learn other fun facts about Margaret.
A word about these photos:
These photos of me in the blue dress were all taken by my friend, photographer, knitter and crafter extraordinaire Shae, of Saflower Photography. She somehow manages to do all these things while raising adorable twin kidlets.
Hello miss! Thank you for your lovely note and congratulations on your book and your signing with Ms Markson — how fabulosa!!!! It is hard enough to write with no kids and no job, ha, I’m gonna watch to see how you do it with three of them moppets!! Love, Carolyn
First time I visit someone personal blog, really I like It!!!!
Aloha Margaret!!
I really appreciate the inspiration behind this story. I like the humor and the connection with your mom. I adore fiction and getting lost between the pages…. I can not wait to read your novel=)
this summer, my grandma buried her 50 year old autistic daughter, who died tragically of choking on a marshmallow. i flew to wisconsin to be with my grandma as heidi was taken off life support.
at that point, my grandma became a human being and not just “my grandma.” i imagined what it must have been like for her to be 25 with three kids, one of whom autistic. a husband who worked all the time. and absolutely no clue how to handle it.
i imagine it must have been similar for you when you found that book and thought about how your mom must have felt, marrying and moving to america.
congratulations on taking a risk and writing a novel. best of luck to you.
Thanks for sharing your story, Sarah.
I am so glad I dropped by your website and read your “about me” page. I appreciate your transparency and the journey you took to fulfill your dream of writing. I am inspired to read your book now! Your words resonate with me, especially in recalling the time in my life when I evolved to experience my mom as a woman, not just my mom. Congratulations to you for writing and publishing your work. What a significant accomplishment!
I just finished reading your book and just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it!! It was wonderful! I did not want it to end! I look forward to more books from you in the future!
From a fan in Oklahoma!
Margaret,
I am enjoying your book on audible now and relate so much to you. My mother was Japanese, married to an American soldier and so much of what you’ve written is familiar. I always wanted to write her life story but never sat down and got all the little details. She died in 2006 at the age of 81 and after her death I found a file folder in her things with documents in which she and my father applied for marriage and had to show that her family was OK–not spies, not prostitutes, etc.
Funny thing is my mother came from a family of famous musicians in the Kabuki theater and her sister was a doctor whereas my father was from a rather poor family in North Carolina with very little education. I am inspired by your book and I probably have plenty I could write about.
I have honored the memory of my mother by dedicating my culinary endeavors to her. chefjulia.blogspot.com
In the meantime, please keep writing. I love your book.
Julia
hi really enjoyed your book it was interesting to hear all about Japan and the families really good book!!
Hello Ms. Dilloway,
I came across your book at B&N recently, read the endpages, and just had to buy it. I am Sansei and grew up in a small Japanese American community in the midwest where most of the families are military. Many of my childhood friends and immediate relatives are Hapa with fathers who served in WWII and mothers who were war brides. My parents were in Japan during that war. Their personal experiences as civilians in a war zone were similar to those in your novel. My aunt and uncle could totally relate to the Morgans. Like Suiko, I grew between cultures, not really fully belonging to either. In short, you nailed the inherent duality and contradictions of our lives and cultural upbringing perfectly. Thank you for writing this novel so that others may also understand.
Loved your book. Hope you have another in the works. How about posting pictures of your mother onyour website so we can see who Shoko is based on? Keep up the great work.
I just finished your book and it was like reading my own life story. I am the daughter of a Japanese woman from a fishing village who was just outside of Nagasaki when the atomic bomb was dropped. She was a bit older than Shoko was in your book. My father met her right after the war ended when he was in the Navy. Only in recent years has my mother begun to share the stories of her childhood and adult years in Japan and how things were for her when she first came to the US. I believe it is a part of the normal aging process as she approaches 85 years old. Your description of Shoko is so similar to my mother that it is uncanny — and I found myself relating, in many ways to Suiko. It is a book I will share with my brother and his daughter so perhaps they will better understand my mother. Even your description of her trip to Japan was much like my experience going to Japan and meeting my Japanese cousin for the first time and my mother’s sister. I felt connected to them in a way I had never felt close to American cousins.
Thank you for writing such an amazing book. I wish I had your talent. I’ve often thought that the stories I’ve heard from my mother would make an incredible novel. To this day she refuses to eat tacos because she felt she was fooled at her first american meal when the navy housewife said they were having “taco” for dinner. My mother thought it was “tako” which, of course, is octopus. So many stories — so much strength. You captured the essence of what it takes for someone to leave their homeland after a war and come to a country where they are not welcomed. And the sequelae felt by their offspring. Again, I can’t thank you enough.
Wow. That is amazing. I am honored, Betty! Thank you so much for writing and sharing your experience, and thank you for reading!
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I JUST finished reading your book 5 minutes ago, (I couldn’t put it down) and then read about your blog in the “about author” area on the inside cover. How often does a reader get to say “thank YOU” and actually know the author will read it?! So, thank you…your book touched me so profoundly. I am a military spouse, about to relocate to S. Korea for three years. We are excited about the move, but also tenative. Culturally, I am the all-American girl, and am excited/nervous about the new cultural challenges. Reading your book enlightened me, and gave me peace of mind. So many women before me have made huge changes for their families, and have approached challenges far greater than mine…and have come out better for it. It helped read about Shoko’s strength, for after tonight I have tapped into a reserve of my own strength. Thank you…you have made an impact.
Thanks so much for sharing, Lindsay! Best of luck on your move. It will be an adventure, I’m sure!
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Love love love the book. Oh, and love the photos.
Shae’s mom
Hi Margaret,
Just like many people who left comments here, I just fininshed reading your book today. Thank you so much for such an amazing book!
I was born and raised in Japan and married an American and moved to the US 16 years ago. In my case so many decades have passed after the war, my experiences are not exactly the same as your mother’s. Although, there are so many things that I can relate to, it also made me wonder how my children feel having a mother who doesn’t speak perfect English or came from a totally different culture. Like you mentioned in the book about Shoko, I think I am doing my best to raise my children the way I know how. My hope is that my children will understand that someday.
When we got married, one of my concerns was about our cultural differeces (my mother told me at the time, the 75% of interacial marriages don’t survive). My husband is very optimistic and he told me that we will make our own culture by taking and mixing the good things from both cultures and make it our own. So far it is working.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book, it was thought provoking and well written; that it is hard to come by these days.
Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! And I love your blog, too.
I picked up your book at Los Angeles International Airport on a whim before a flight. I am so glad I did! You are an amazing author and I cannot wait for your next book to come out! By far the best book I have read in a very, very long time. Definetly in my top 3!! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Lacey!
i too like many have just finished reading your book what an inspiration how brave your mother was to embrace another culture i may never get to japan but i have enjoyed through your book been able to learn more about the two different cultures i am from NEW ZEALAND my daughter is taking japanese at high school next year i look forward to learning more keep writing you have an amazing talent share it with others may you have a wonderful future i will wait patiently for your next book shara
Thank you so much, Shara! Good to know it’s made its way to New Zealand, too.
I just read your book in a day. I am an American who was raised in a Navy family moving around and as an adult taught English in Japan in Nagasaki-ken. I found much to relate to in your story and enjoyed the many memories it brought back to me today, from relating to Mike’s moving traumas (I used to hide in my closet) to visiting Kumamoto-jo and the Peace Park in Nagasaki to being a single mom myself. Thank you for for your story. I really enjoyed it.
You’re welcome!