The abrupt shift from deregulation to increased vigilance drove a large crack through one’s sense of reality, and a sensation not dissimilar to jet lag rendered everything hazy.
Our narrator has been alerted by a mutual friend that Nomiya will be arriving in Göttingen. She sets off through the suffocating July heat, the streets quiet after a recent wave of covid, spotting Nomiya as he leaves the train. He’s not surprised to see her, although she doesn’t know why he’s travelled to this city that was once on a pilgrim route. Nomiya was washed away during the tsunami; his body never returned to land. Our narrator walks him to the bus accompanied by her roommate’s truffle-hunting dog before returning home. She and their mutual friend speculate as to whether Nomiya will return to Tōhoku for the festival of Obon when the dead visit their family. Feeling unsettled, she decides to visit Ursula, a calm presence, who seem to be at the centre of a wide circle of acquaintances. Before long, Hector has begun to unearth small objects rather than truffles, deposited with Ursula who tries to reunite them with their owners, some of whom are reluctant to take them back.
The past always borrows a face, a likeness. If the face is blurry, you have to take time to remember it.
Ishizawa was born in Sendai, Tōhoku and now lives in Germany which makes me wonder how much of her own experience she’s poured into this beautiful meditation on grief and memory. Her novel explores the idea of the embodiment of trauma in both people and places, the pain of not addressing those memories, encompassing war, natural disaster and the pandemic which although not overtly addressed, seems to be the trigger for our narrator’s experience. Adding to its beauty are arresting descriptions of the art she’s studying. I found this novella very moving, its final passages offering hope through acceptance and acknowledgement of the way in which trauma changes us in body and mind. Not an easy book to write about, and I haven’t done it justice, but it’s one that will stay with me for some time.
Sceptre Books: London 9781399750387 160 pages Hardback (read via NetGalley)
This sounds like a very thoughtful piece, to take in slowly. I’ve just looked it up, and other reviews say similar positive things to you, so it seems like a Must Read.
Pleased to hear that. It’s such a beautiful, contemplative piece of fiction. I hope you can easily track it down.
Just about to order it!
Hurrah!
This sounds extraordinary. I completely agree about the power of novellas and it sounds like the author has really harnessed that here.
It is, indeed. Not an easy read but a beautiful, poignant one. I think you’d like it.
This sounds fantastic. Another to line up for November I think!
Definitely!
You had me at ‘grief and memory’… and then you through in Germany to seal the deal 🙂
This one’s right up your alley! I’d be interested to know what you think of it.
Definitely one on my radar 🙂
Glad to hear that. I thought it was an extraordinarily good debut. Difficult themes to handle well.
This sounds really interesting. I really like Asian writers. I am sure you have seen the Booker Longlist Susan. No Irish writers this year which is a surprise. I have read Miller’s book and it will be interesting to see if it makes shortlist. I think you have posted some of the books on your blog Susan.
Highly recommend this one, Lucy. Disappointed not to see Wendy Erskine on the Booker longlist but I was delighted that Seascraper made it. An interesting selection.
Seascraper sounds like my kind of book. It got a great review in this week’s Irish Times.
Definitely one of my books of 2025.
And the novella does seem to be an exceptionally good choice for works about grief, so that you can read them in a single sitting and then return to them as needed/desired.
Absolutely! I had the feeling this one might have been cathartic for the author too.
Sounds intriguing – I’ll keep an eye out for this one – thanks Susan.
You’re welcome! I picked this one out of curiosity. It’ll likely end up as one of my books of this year. I hope you can get your hands on a copy.