This novel blew my mind.
Ruth Ozeki is a gifted writer, able to create a complex, realistic fictional universe unlike any I’ve read before. The layers upon layers of plot she builds are incredible and completely engulf the reader. The Seattle Times describes it as a work of “literary origami” and it is just that.
This fictional novel tells the story of Ruth, a Japanese-American writer who finds a Hello Kitty lunchbox washed up on the shore of a small Pacific island where she and her husband live. The lunchbox contains the journal of Nao Yasutani, a young Japanese schoolgirl. Believing her finding to be debris from Japan’s 2011 tsunami, Ruth begins to read through Nao’s journal, becoming attached to the young girl’s life and concerned for her well-being.
(I’m going to do my best not to spoil anything…)
Nao describes herself as a “time-being,” explaining that she does not have much time left to live. As Ruth reads deeper into the journal she becomes obsessed with uncovering the mystery of Nao’s fate, wondering if she’s still alive.
I found this novel extremely interesting to read, as it switches between the perspectives of Nao and Ruth. As Ruth reads a portion of the journal, we do the same, in a way becoming Ruth. I found myself just as invested in Nao’s life as Ruth was. The journal holds stories of Nao’s deplorable home life and gruesome incidents of her bullying at school, all of which result in her deciding to end her own life. However, before she does, she wishes to use her journal as a means of telling the life story of her 104-year old great-grandmother, Jiko.
In this novel, Ozeki crosses Western philosophies with Buddhist foundations as she narrates Jiko’s guidance and influence on Nao’s existential development. She utilizes themes of death and questions the meaning of life, while gracefully incorporating Buddhist concepts of existence and time.
While this novel can be read as a deep philosophical text, it can also be an interesting beach read. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different. It is a thoroughly moving novel that can influence your outlook on life and time.
I HIGHLY recommend this novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on another Ozeki book.
A.I.M. Book Reviews 