First published 2016
Yoshie's world collapses when her beloved musician father takes his own life alongside a woman nobody knows. The tragedy forces Yoshie and her mother to flee their old life and settle in Shimokitazawa, a Tokyo neighborhood where narrow streets wind between small shops and neighbors actually talk to each other. They try to start over, but Yoshie cannot escape her dreams. Night after night, her dead father searches for the phone he abandoned the day he died. Sometimes she finds herself trying to call him, the connection always failing. These nocturnal visits feel like more than grief playing tricks on her mind. Her father seems desperate to tell her something important. As Yoshie navigates her new community, she discovers that healing comes through unexpected channels. The neighborhood's warmth, shared meals, and small kindnesses begin to patch the holes in her life. Yoshimoto crafts a story where the supernatural feels natural and recovery happens one conversation at a time.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, supernatural-elements
Setting: Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
Period: contemporary
200 pages · Kindle Edition · Counterpoint
Content warnings: suicide