The perfect comfort read to usher in the fall season
Turns out - I was abso-fricking-lutely right!
Frankly, I thought the story would be the stereoptypical tale of a woman, Takako in this particular case, finding new love. Yeah, very original, I know.
However, the author completely threw me off my game very early on by adding some unexpected twists here & there - particularly with the reappearance of Momoko. This took the story in a whole new direction & caught me by surprise - but a pleasant one at that.
If I have to name one negative thing, it would be the part of the mountain hike. It felt like a weird, out of place setting & I am still unsure how it fit into the story..
I connected with almost every character—except for Hadeaki, who turns out to be an unwashed, unsufferable a**hole who takes advantage of women just for the hell of it. Even though I found his behavior rather off-putting, I appreciated the narrative “empowered women empower women” when ultimately, his fiancée left him after discovering his envolvement with Takako.!My favorite character was the grumpy, yet endearing Sobu, who reminded me so much of my dad & grandpa.
The themes in this book were well sought out. A beautiful reminder that no matter how many mistakes we have made, we can always start fresh, slape wiped clean. The idea that we are in control of our own fate & the power of books as a form of escapism particularly hit close to home.
Yagisawa’s writing is straightforward and simple, yet incredibly moving. I never once had to question how a character or scene looked; everything was vividly clear in my mind. The book evoked a wide range of emotions — compassion, sadness, and ultimately, hope. The story deals with loss in many forms, and while each character copes differently, it’s heartening to see them all find a way through their struggles.
Anyone seeking a comforting fall read will love this one, as well as people who are in for a good laught/cry at the same time.
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Onder leiding van miljonair Anne helpt Jessie in 1918 bij de Franse wederopbouw door kinderbibliotheken op te zetten in omgebouwde ambulances. Totdat ze op een dag spoorloos verdwijnt.
'Uniek aan Wondermond is de keuze van Goemans om een verwende, kortzichtige, mannelijke tiener als hoofdpersonage te nemen in een verhaal dat zo duidelijk stoelt op vrouwenstemmen en verborgen vrouwenleed.'
'Vanhauwaert weet een unieke literaire ervaring te creëren. De inhoud en vorm zijn zo met elkaar versmeed dat ze niet los van elkaar gezien kunnen worden,' zegt de vakjury over het debuut.
Een hartverwarmend verhaal over vasthouden en loslaten te midden van de storm, en een vriendschap die zelfs de diepste wonden heelt. Van de auteur van Onder de magnolia.
