A Japanese production company in conjunction with a fictional American agri-conglomerate “Beef-Ex” hires a Japanese-American journalist named Jane Takagi-Little to endorse the use of American beef in Japan. In order to achieve this goal they conceptualize a weekly reality cooking show entitled “My American Wife!” Here, they feature attractive, young Caucasian housewives cooking a featured recipe showcasing, of course, American beef care of Beef-Ex. Jane pulls double duty playing host of the show as well as the creative producer.
Jane storyline runs concurrent to that of another Japanese woman, a former horror mangaka, Ueno Akiko. Akiko is unhappily married to Ueno “John” Joichi, the Japanese director of “My American Wife!” John is an abusive husband who is obsessed with Akiko conceiving. Thinking that somehow by cooking the recipes featured in the show Akiko would be able to bear children he forces her to watch and evaluate episode after episode of “My American Wife!” demanding that she have the highlighted viand prepared for him by the time he gets home. In the process of watching the show however, Akiko’s sense of self grows and with it a growing sense of independence, straining the already troubled relationship between her and John.
During novel’s progression the narration alternates between Jane and Akiko; Akiko narrates from a third person omniscient perspective and Jane relates her story via personal journal logs and through fax correspondences. In the US, Jane collaborates with John Ueno to film American housewives for material to use on the show. In the process of shooting however, John has a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics in the beef used in the dishes. Incapacitated, the responsibilities of on-site production are passed on to Jane. Jane on the other hand is puzzled by the presence of antibiotics in the meat and, being a journalist, decides to investigate the matter further. Additionally, now that production of the show has been handed over to her completely she institutes a couple of changes in the show concept, primarily by featuring more ethnic variety and by adding more exotic, non-beef dishes in the episodes that she leads.
Jane’s initiative to highlight families of non-Caucasian, non-heterosexual persuasions as well as to feature dishes containing lamb, pork, and even vegetables angers John Ueno and in retaliation he makes life difficult for Jane. She tries to appease him by taking him out drinking; unfortunately he interprets this a sexual advance and he tries to rape her when she take him to his hotel room after their bar crawl. Fortunately Jane is able to escape his advances.
In the midst of all these events, Sloan, a musician has come into Jane’s life. The begin to pursue a passionate, sexually charged relationship, meeting each other frequently for trysts near Jane’s production shoots. Jane goes about the relationship rather recklessly believing that she cannot get pregnant, having been unable to conceive in her previous marriage. Jane however does get pregnant and although initially hesitant to assume motherhood quickly realizes she actually wants to have a baby. Despite her pregnancy though she proceeds with her investigation of Beef-Ex’s operations.
The novel then shifts back to Akiko’s situation where the extent of the abuse she endures at John’s hands is revealed. She has stopped menstruating because is she severely underweight, undernourished, and constantly emotionally distressed. Despite her condition being largely caused by John’s routine abuses he still blames her for inability to bear him a child. She is sent to fertility specialist to help her condition and eventually she begins to menstruate once more. Akiko remembers an episode featuring a lesbian couple and comes to the realization that she cannot find fulfillment in her current marriage.
In desperation, she faxes Jane in secret divulging not only how unhappy she is but also detailing the abuses she receives from him. Unfortunately John discovers the fax and proceeds to physically beat Akiko then rapes her afterwards. She is hospitalized as a result of the beating and it is here that she learns that she has finally gotten pregnant. Jane’s episode featuring the vegetarian lesbians has inspired Akiko sufficiently however to finally decide to leave John once and for all. She leaves him while he is away on another business trip, fleeing to America where she befriends Jane and meets up with the families featured in “My American Wife!” who have made the greatest impact on her.
The novel then switches back to Jane who is in Texas filming an episode of “My American Wife!” as a cover for her reconnaissance of a Beef-Ex owned an operated feedlot and slaughterhouse. Here she finally finds the damning evidence that she has been looking for: she find children with symptoms of synthetic hormone poisoning--children of the family managing the farm. Seeing the horrible effect these chemicals have on the children Jane suddenly becomes very frightened for her unborn child and as she continues to film the conditions within the farm she has an accident and passes out. When she comes to she is in the hospital being treated for her injuries, and a miscarriage; to make matters worse the network executives also discover her investigative efforts and she is promptly fired from her post.
Upon Jane's discharge from the hospital, Jane’s former colleagues reach out to her informing her that they had made copies of her footage of both the horrible conditions at the farm as well as the infected children. Jane makes a documentary from the salvaged footage, which is then circulated by the family of the hormone-poisoned kids. The revelation of the Beef-Ex feedlot operations sparks a great public outcry and Jane’s documentary sells to hundreds of media outlets. Having vindicated herself Jane then reconnects and reconciles with Sloan and together move forward to a brighter future.
