Kintsugi is a deeply personal and unflinchingly honest coming-of-age memoir by Juju Watanabe, a third-generation Japanese-American navigating the fractures of identity, family, and self-worth in a world that often misunderstands her.

Named after the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, Kintsugi explores what it means to piece yourself back together after growing up in silence—silenced by racism, family trauma, and mental health struggles that go unseen. Raised in a predominantly white suburb of New York, Juju recounts her turbulent teenage years: the loneliness of being "too Asian" for white America and "too American" for her heritage, the hurt of being sidelined within her own home, and the quiet strength she found in unlikely places.

From surviving the cruelty of microaggressions and fractured family dynamics to rediscovering cultural pride and support through her aunt and cousin, Kintsugi is a testament to the quiet resilience of those who have been broken—and the beauty in choosing to rebuild anyway.

With vivid storytelling and heartfelt introspection, Watanabe offers a voice that is both urgent and tender, reminding readers that while we cannot always control the pain we inherit, we can choose how we grow from it. Kintsugi is a memoir for anyone who has ever felt out of place, and a love letter to those learning to find strength in their cracks.