Chie Uchida, a talented student, does not fit the mold of her countryside life and provincial upbringing. She's not certain what she wants, but knows that unlike her beloved brother, her future does not spell contentment on a tea farm. Her self-absorbed best friend has a rebellious streak but doesn't present a model Chie wants to follow.

Entering college, Chie plunges headlong into emotional turmoil as she takes her first misguided steps into womanhood—she misreads the attention of one professor and the aspirations of another.

Set in 1970s Japan, the Showa era, the story evokes nostalgia for a simpler time as traditional customs and values fade away and Japanese society inexorably changes to meet the expectations and demands of a more modern world.

The characters in this novel, drawn with a deft deliberation and intimate distance, arouse empathy as they struggle, submit, and surrender.

BUY

Publisher:  Senyume Press (March 2023)

ISBN:   9798218109844

Page count:   248

Available at: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.jp, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Books, Kobo Kinokuniya

“ I can’t think of any other fiction written by a non-Japanese to capture Japan so perfectly. And to do everything else so perfectly, too. Particularly impressive was the sense of control the novel exhibits in regard to language, which was beautiful to read; the characters, who felt absolutely real and whose conflicts were portrayed with great love, consistency, and care; and with the emotional tone of the story from beginning to end. A Thousand Graces is nothing less than a masterpiece.” — David Joiner, author of The Heron Catchers