This was a poetic novel heavily infused with both grief and love. I enjoyed reading the prose with the knowledge that my friend Lucy Rand translated the Italian faithfully. Messina's style is thoughtful and reflective, with a knack for understanding Japanese ways of thinking that often surprise and endear the reader. Bell Gardia is as much a character as Yui and the others, and metaphors abound about the wind, destruction, and renewal.

I highly recommend this book, especially for readers in search of solace and inspiration some time after loss. In an immediate aftermath of loss, though, this story might hit too close to home.