by Fumio Obata
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Published: 2015
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Genre: Contemporary, Graphic Novel, Japan
Paperback: 160
Rating: 5
First sentence(s):
How long have I been here?
Yumiko was born in Japan but has made a life in London, losing herself in its cosmopolitan bustle. She has a gallery show of her art, a good job, and a good guy she plans to marry. The culture she grew up in seems very far away—until her brother phones with the news that their father has died. Yumiko returns to Tokyo and finds herself immersed in the rituals of death while also plunged into the rituals of life—fish bars, bullet trains, pagodas—as she confronts the question of where her future really lies. Just So Happens deals both gently and powerfully with grief, identity, and the pressure not to disappoint one’s parents, even after they’re gone, in a look at the relationships that build the foundation of our lives.
PeekAbook:
My two-bits:
This contemporary novel follows the protagonist with experiences of a young adult from London to Japan.
Loved the intro to Noh theatre and some of the Japanese funeral custom.
Fun trivia:
Fumio's artwork made an appearance at a Duran Duran concert - Careless Memories (Live in London) - quite bloody ;-)
* part of World Reads challenge - Japan pt 2 (here)
