Fifty Sounds: A Memoir of Language, Learning, and Longing

In her debut work, Barton presents a candid blend of memoir and exploration of linguistics. After completing her undergraduate degree in philosophy, Barton accepted a position teaching English in Japan without having previously studied Japanese language or culture. She ended up living in Japan for most of her adult life and eventually became a literary Japanese/English translator based in England. Here she describes her experiences navigating two languages through vignette-like chapters, each based on a Japanese mimetic, or sound-symbolic vocabulary, “where the beating heat of Japanese lies,” Barton writes. For instance, “koro-koro,” the sound of an object rolling, lends itself to an exploration of how Barton’s perception of the world seems to change depending on which language she’s speaking and how she sees herself and her place in the world. Throughout the memoir, Barton lays bare her difficulties and triumphs—both personal and professional—with unflinching honesty and self-deprecating humor.