I love Gail Tsukiyama's peaceful tone. She does a fabulous job of depicting life in Japan, spanning from the pre-World War II era through to the post-War revival. The characters in this story are wonderful, engaging, and alive. Her descriptions are so real; during the most intense moments of the war, I had to stop to catch my breath because I was so emotionally engaged in the story. I sped through this 420-page book and loved every minute of it.

Tsukiyama's writing style is so straightforward, and almost understated in its unique fashion - yet through it she brings her settings come intensely vividly to life, and shapes and narrates the lives characters that are so complex, so developed and almost graphically human. It's not merely impressive - in fact, I don't hesitate to call it astounding.

This book is a episodic look at two brothers during a tumultuous time in Japanese history. They start as orphans, raised by loving grandparents, with the backdrop of a Japan at war with China in 1939. It goes on to show civilian hardships as World War II escalates, the fire bombing of Tokyo, occupation, and a nation rebuilding. The novel has many of the characters close to the boys, Hiroshi and Kenji, as being somewhat pacifist, or at least unenthusiastic about the war, so the hardships they experience draw out a lot of pathos.

The chapters are often fairly short vignettes of the characters' lives, with triumphs and tragedies. My book club co-host compared it aptly to postcards.

Read for the Cincinnati Art Museum "See the Story" program meeting on July 20, 2019. Many people seemed to enjoy it, so that was a success, and we had 20 people show up!

I really enjoyed reading the life of a Japanese family and friends from 1939-1966. I've read so many stories of life in Europe during WWl and WWll. Also many stories of Japanese occupied Korea and China.
I have a much better understanding of the traditional ways of DOH theatre masks and the great rituals and training associated with the Sumo culture.
The writing was very descriptive, and the characters were well developed. The ending felt real not quickly needing to be wrapped up as too many novels do. I will certainly seek out more of Gail Tsukiyama's works!

The story begins in 1939 when Japan is at war with China and becomes a major force in World War II. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms, two orphaned brothers are growing up with their loving grandparents, who inspire them to dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows unusual skill at the national obsession of sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of creating hard-carved masks for actors in the Noh theater.

Across town, a renowned sumo master, Sho Tanaka, lives with his wife and their two young daughters: the delicate, daydreaming Aki and her independent sister, Haru. Life seems full of promise as Kenji begins an informal apprenticeship with the most famous mask-maker in Japan and Hiroshi receives a coveted invitation to train with Tanaka. But then Pearl Harbor changes everything. As the ripples of war spread to both families' quiet neighborhoods, all of the generations must put their dreams on hold---and then find their way in a new Japan.

The book was beautifully written and i really love the story and the warm relationship between the two brother. The story reminds us, especially in today's divided atmosphere, that to condemn a nation of people is to deny their humanity. 

This is my least favorite of Gail Tsukiyama. It was a dark book filled with things that I didn't know about Japan during and after WWII.

I loved the first half of this book. The author, Gail Tsukiyama, is a gifted writer and story-teller. However, the second half was less engaging and I found myself just wanting it to be over. Hence, the four stars.

This is my first book by Ms. Tsukiyama, and given the wonderful writing, I am looking forward to reading more.

Really good but too many tragedies for me.

Think I'll have to hold off on this book for now since I didn't finish it in time for the discussion group and need to read something a little shorter/lighter over the summer months.