Read: April 2, 2015
Summary: Kitchen is a beautifully written novel about love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the life of a young woman in contemporary Japan. The main character, Mikage, orphaned from a young age, was raised by her grandmother, who recently passed away. During her grieving period, Mikage lives with her friend, Yoichi and his mother, Eriko. The three form an improvised family that soon has to bear some losses. The novel also included a companion story, Moonlight Shadow.
My thoughts: I thought more liberal in its storyline that I was expecting for a novel set in Japan in the late 1980s. I have read one of Banana Yoshimoto’s other novels, The Lake, and this novel is equally as good as The Lake. It was an easy, pleasant and interesting read. It was definitely a page turner.
