33-year-old Celeste Duncan feels her life is a blah. Her mother passed away when she was younger, and she did not know who her father was. She does not feel motivated about her editor career, and she feels her relationship with her boyfriend is bland and lacks all the sparks.

So one day when she receives a phone call and a box that fills with mysterious family heirlooms, she is excited and intrigued at the same time. She thinks she might be able to find an answer to the identity of her father after all, but then she has to leave everything as she has and leave San Jose for Japan, for she has to search for a long-lost relative who could explain what contains inside that box. However, there is a problem as Celeste doesn't understand Japanese, and then of course there is the long distance and the difference of the cultures but she has decided to take the plunge since she so badly wanted to know more about her father.

During her stay in Japan, she met Takuya, her homestay "brother" who is able to converse in English, and a "teacher" whom has later became her good friend. With their help, Celeste is able to trace her family roots and learn about the Japanese culture but not without some mistakes and embarrassment along the way.

First of all, I loved the plot and setting of this story as I like reading about characters finding oneself through certain circumstances and how the journey has made them grown and made them a different person. I find Celeste's persistance in searching for her biological father and her enthusiasm in learning Japanese to be inspiring, and most of all I admire her courage.

However that is not all in Love in Translation, I also get to learn more about the Japanese culture (which I find it wonderful without having to search for other non-fictions on that), and that it also revolves around family, friendship and romance.