Magical realism, myth, surrealism, fairytale, folk tale – call it what you will but this story is a major treat! Translated from the Japanese author’s (Maru Ayase) original by translator Haydn Trowell, this is the first of the author’s many novels to be translated into English. What a great decision! Our main character is tired of being used in her husband’s novels, so it’s time to do something. And that something is to turn herself into a plant… and then a forest… and finally a forest so large it overtakes their city. Feminism, art, and social expectations all blend together to make this tale a moving, surprising, memorable read. I highly recommend it to everyone.
–Linda Bond, Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, WA
Celebrate Women in Translation Month by topping up your TBR piles from Auntie’s Bookstore and other independent bookstores.