Four Seasons in Japan: A big-hearted book-within-a-book about finding purpose and belonging, perfect for fans of Matt Haig’s THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

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It’s spring and cherry blossom season in Tokyo, Japan and yet American translator Flo Dunthorpe is in despair following the poor reception of her latest book translation. There’s another blow too as she is breaking up with her girlfriend who is going to live in the United States. However, will a lovely book she finds called ‘Sound of Water’ by the mysterious writer Hibiki restore her fortunes? Meanwhile, grandmother Ayako runs a cafe in Onomichi and is expecting the arrival of her daydreamer grandson nineteen year old Kyo. Like Flo, Kyo has lost his way in life after failing his exams and reluctantly travels to Onomichi to attend a cram school to help him get accepted to study medicine. After an unpromising start Kyo learns there’s way more to his grandmother than he initially gives her credit for. In a world where society has lost its humanity, where people don’t even see each other as people anymore, the sense of community and connection in Four Seasons in Japan was really beautiful. There are so many layers or themes that are somehow discussed in both stories such as translation work issues, Japanese culture and traditions, relationship between books and their readers, art and poetry appreciation, as well as changes and acceptance between the youngs and the olds, as well as the cities and the rurals. Most importantly, one main important theme that encapsulates both stories is concerning one’s passion in life. Does one person do things in life because of his passion or because he needs to? This is where our main characters are trying to deliver their messages to us. I savoured every line of this beautifully observed portrait of Japan. Bradley creates a world and characters that are completely engrossing. Bea Setton, author of Berlin It’s not about getting to the end – about completion. That’s what I needed to learn. It’s about the journey, the process itself. The cycle of work and art is like the seasons, flowing from one to another, round and round, over and over.

This was such a beautiful story set in a story. There are two timelines for each season, one for Flo as she starts in a state of despair with her last translation not being well received and one for Ayako and Kyo as they adjust to a new relationship dynamic. Of the two, I preferred the delicate beauty of Ayako and Kyo’s. Ayako is steadfast in her habits, living her life in the memory of her husband and son and wanting to avoid her past mistakes while Kyo is torn between what his heart wants and what is expected of him. Slowly, these two very different individuals realise how alike they are and begin to help each other heal and find themselves. Neither is easy to live with, and it’s very fascinating to read about how their relationship grows over the time of a year, with all its ups and downs. Even though they are very different people, they also have more in common than they would think. They are both stubborn, strong-headed, driven by their passions, and have hearts of gold. Neither of them is easy to like or agree with at times, but I loved reading about them and all the characters that appear in their lives. Especially Ayumi. She was the best.Gorgeous. Four Seasons in Japan is the best kind of book: layered, interlinked and clever, but also delicately drawn, immersive and big-hearted. I strung out the last chapters, reluctant to let the beguiling characters go. Rebecca Stott, author of In The Days of Rain A beguiling book within a book that delicately traces the interconnectedness of lives across generations, within families, between strangers, and between books and their readers. I loved it. Andrew Cowan, author of Worthless Men Four Seasons in Japan gently covers so many different issues but not in a preachy way. It beautifully weaves in proverbs and has dazzling quotes. So I wasn’t one of those people who got obsessed with the country from the UK and went there because of that, I kind of went out into the unknown, not knowing what I was going to find, but I ended up loving it and I ended up staying for a lot longer.” The book within a book is separated by the four seasons,” he explains, “and Flo, the American translator, translates each seasonal section in that season in her own life, so we get to see her life progressing alongside the characters within the book.

The story is about Ayako, an owner of a cafe in Onomichi whom lost her husband to the mountain and her son to suicide. Kyo, her estranged grandson was sent to live with Ayako after he failed his entrance college examination so he needs to study at the cram school in Hiroshima. His mother as a doctor was too busy to care for him so she sent Kyo to stay with his grandma. This starts the awkward relationship between two opposing personalities, different generations and the old vs young mindset. With struggles and hardships faced by both, the book followed the stories of these 2 characters as they feels alive on their own. From the author of The Cat and The City , Four Seasons in Japan is a gorgeously crafted book-within-a-book about literature, purpose and what it is to belong. An affecting tale of lost souls making connections, told with wit, compassion and gentle inventiveness. Tom Watson, author of Metronome A book that I genuinely keep putting on and off for the past month. Tbh, I lost interest at some point which I don’t know why, (maybe) I was not in the right mood at that time. So to be fair, you need in the right mood to be engaged in it. So this book has two stories. A book within a book format that makes it more interesting to dive in.

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Despite the fact that there is a great deal to praise here, other readers love this a lot more than I do, I think it’s a case of the wrong reader rather than any issues with this well written book. One interesting thing to note of is how all the characters in the story are readers. That was certainly a plus point. Ayako, despite of her old age was an avid reader and I think that is so cool! The emotions that ran through me as I read those lines. I had to pause and take a minute to regain control and still I was trembling, unsure of what it all meant. Afraid that it was the worst and that would destroy me.

In the book, the author covers several themes, including mental health, parental control, generational differences, societal pressure on children, and suicide.. The friendship and community strength portrayed in Kyo’s story is heartwarming. There are so many layers or themes that are somehow discussed in both stories such as translation work issues, Japanese culture and traditions Kyo failed his university entrance exams, and he goes to live with his strict grandmother Ayako in her humble house in Onomichi and she runs a small coffee shop. Kyo's mother is a doctor, so doing well at cram school is extremely important and so he can resist the exams to get into medical school. This is a gentle, wistful novel set in Japan where I have recently had a holiday. My enjoyment of the book was heightened because the language spoken, the food eaten, the transport systems and the Hiroshima Peace Park mentioned in the novel were so familiar to me. Sound of Water gives us the story of teenage Kyo and his grandmother, Ayako. Kyo has been sent from Tokyo to the rural town of Onomichi to live with his grandmother as he attends a cram school so that he can retake exams to get into medical school. Ayako is gruff and uncompromising, and Kyo struggles to find his place. The story here is layered as we uncover Kyo's talent for art and Ayako's struggles with the deaths of both her husband and her son (Kyo's father). Ayako and Kyo both grow and learn over the course of the year.

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if you're going to spend the rest of your life doing something, you should probably be sure it's something you want to do. Otherwise you'll just make yourself miserable, no?" how did she translate these very untranslatable feelings that coursed through her body and mind? How could she put this pain into words that other people could understand and relate to? Authors, if you are a member of the Goodreads Author Program, you can edit information about your own books. Find out how in this guide. I like the two stories premise which is interspersed with Flo’s translation of Sound of Water and scattered throughout are some wonderful illustrations and photographs which add to the storytelling and I love looking at these. The setting in Japan is fascinating and lovers of all things Japanese will find this novel resonates. You get an excellent peak into Japanese society via Kyo and Ayako and the other inhabitants of the small town of Onomichi. If you are a cat lover they feature prominently too, especially Coltrane (not Robbie!). Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for review!

I immensely enjoyed the book because there was a certain degree of warmth I felt while reading. It’s not really a plot-driven kind of storyline as I think the stories centred around the characters. I love the concept of the delivery which excited me a lot by having that touch of mystery element. I just wished that the “Sound of Water” was a real book, because I need to have some answers.

This love letter to Japan is about love, loss, grief, loneliness, being lost and not knowing what to do next. The characters are well written, the writing is vivid, the story-line is complex but not over complicated. This book is a finely-wrought wonder. Four Seasons in Japan carries its wisdom lightly, but tells a profound tale about the redemptive power of narrative and the consolations of art." - Joe Mungo Reed This is a gentle, tender and thoughtful book, exploring literature, love, human connection, Japanese culture and the disillusion of youth. It features beautiful imagery and is crafted in such a way that you want to savour every chapter. Culturefly Its a heartwarming story where I was more invested in Kyo and Ayako's story more than Flo's part of the story. Its a book within a book format told alternatively, with breaks to show Flo's side of story to get a full glimpse on the process of her discovering the book "A Sound of Water" by Hibiki to her translating it and meeting the author. Its interesting but I prefer the book Sound of Water more than reading on Flo's stories.