Recent Reviews

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“A beautiful story with beautiful writing. All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a book you don’t want to miss. Captivating writing will make it very difficult to set down this inspiring story. Highly recommended.” 

– Jessica Belmont, Book Blogger

“An engrossing read, which is likely to catch the eye of a movie producer or director. Highly recommended.” 

- Historical Novel Society

“This story is so well-written that [it] really portrays the sorrow Noriko had to bear. The writing of Noriko’s character and how she developed from having a very spoiled and privileged upbringing to all the suffering she had to bear as a mother and then to lose her son was incredibly portrayed. Stephens captured the true essence of love, family and loss in a beautiful way. In this emotionally charged and heartfelt read, Stephens writes about resilience, strength and courage framed within the backdrop of the Japanese culture and important political climate of the time. I highly recommend this powerful novel.” 

– @nurse_bookie on Instagram

“This book was so emotional for me. I could not imagine having to face the choices that Noriko is presented, given the Japanese culture. It was so well written and you experience the love, loss, and forgiveness right alongside the characters. I would highly recommend this book.” 

– @books_n_yogapants on Instagram

“The writing is so beautiful and has transported me to Japan in the 1940s and beyond.” 

– @booked.and.loving.it on Instagram

"An eloquent and engaging novel that was inspired by true events and deftly written with a compelling sensitivity, All Sorrows Can Be Borne explores how families are shaped by political and economic circumstances, tremendous loss and ultimately forgiveness. One of those masterpiece works of literary fiction All Sorrows Can Be Borne is especially and unreservedly recommended."
―Midwest Book Review

“This was a beautifully written piece of historical fiction that I haven’t experienced before, and knowing it was based on a true story made it so much more impactful.” – @suethebookie on Instagram

“So many of us have suffered this past year or so.  Many of us have had to dig deep within ourselves to learn how to bear sorrows and loss.  Many of us have looked to the past for inspiration to get through difficult times. For all these reasons, Loren Stephens’ All Sorrows Can Be Borne has come at the exact right time. Inspired by true events and real people, the story looks at pain and suffering but also the ultimate triumph of love, forgiveness, and compassion. I loved the book.”

—Lisa See, author of The Island of Sea Women and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 

“Starting with the heart-wrenching opening chapter of All Sorrows Can be Borne, Loren Stephens weaves a tale of love, family and loss with a page-turning plot. Both harrowing and tender, this generous and emotional novel pulls you into a story of character and place that’s hard to put down. This is a beautiful book.” 

—Barbara Abercrombie, author of The Language of Loss

“All Sorrows Can Be Borne is a harrowing story of love and betrayal, all the more heartbreaking because it is based on family history. Post-war Japan comes alive in these pages, and even the most unforgivable acts make a tragic kind of sense when viewed through the prism of violence that marked every one of the war's survivors. As this tale makes clear, in the wake of such trauma, humans can do the unthinkable, both to and for the ones they love.” 

—Aimee Liu, author of Glorious Boy