Hardboiled & Hard Luck- Banana Yoshimoto

I haven't read much literature from Japan, but I find that there is always a very unique and clear voice. This book is no different. They are 2 small vignettes of love, loss, and recovery that showcase Japanese tradition and culture. Both stories focus on women who come across as being very much alone, despite being loved by families and significant others. What I really liked was that everything about these stories made it abundantly clear that these take place in Japan and nowhere else. The 1st story in particular, hardboiled, had so much description in so few words that I could easily picture the smooth black stones that haunt the protagonist. Overall, a great quick read.

3 ½ bookworms.