Not long after graduating college, American Lea Jacobson moved to Japan to teach English. Unable to accept strict Japanese norms hiding her underwear at the bottom of a laundry hamper, for example she left her host home, got fired, and began working as a nightclub hostess. While flirting with businessmen and persuading them to purchase alcohol, she jump-started an addiction to booze and spiraled into depression. Jacobson's memoir, Bar Flower, is deeply personal she doesn't shy away from her struggles with cutting and eating disorders but it's also a thorough, fascinating guide to modern Japanese culture. A-
OscarWatch TV: 'Avatar' as underdog?
Dave Karger and Missy Schwartz on the rise of ''Hurt Locker,'' Sandra leapfrogging Meryl for Best Actress
More
Totally 'Lost'!
Get up to speed for the final season:
New theories and news from Doc Jensen, exclusive video, photos, trivia, and more
More
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.