Yamamoto has deftly created short stories where the title characters are difficult women. Women who have complicated relationships with their families and significant others. They work hard for independence, like the woman who has breast cancer or the middle aged woman working the night shift, and end up taking the blame when things fall apart. Set in contemporary Japan, these five short stories are filled with a subtle lasting emotion: ennui. This happens because the title characters are stuck and want to change their lives. The enigma of this all is the author herself. Who was she, why has she only written two books, and why has it only been translated to English now? This book was first published in 2000––you should note the lack of cell phones––and has only been released in America this August. It is sad to say that we cannot wait for more good fiction from Yamamoto because she passed away in her 60s. Many accolades as well go to the translator, Brian Bergstrom, who kept the formal Japanese feeling while showing us the intimacies of these women and their chafed lives.
–Lela, Annie Bloom’s Books, Portland, OR
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