I have posted about this on Facebook, looked on Amazon, looked in libraries but no luck. I read this book several years ago and was sure the title was Cherries In The Snow after the Revlon iconic lipshade. The story started in the US, the main character was a young girl on a military base whose mother really disliked their maid’s friend who worked for the dad’s colleague. Turns out the maid’s friend was actually the dad’s former mistress.
The dad and mistress met when she was a pre-teen in Korea or Japan (hence the title) during war. I’m pretty sure it was Korea. He rents an apartment for them (I think she was a semi prostitute and not out of choice) and then he ends up leaving to fight (he was a US Army officer). She finds herself pregnant and the baby ends up dying.
It was obviously a very sad book. It was a little similar to Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club in the way the story was written.
Any suggestions?