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Flowers From Fukushima by Clive Lawton (view source)
Revision as of 11:22, 9 May 2013
, 11:22, 9 May 2013no edit summary
I loved both central characters in this novel. Ryo, straightaway, but Makoto grew on me as I turned the pages. ''Flowers from Fukushima'' is a tremendously absorbing read and it's full of accurate research and fascinating detail. People in Japan really did plant sunflowers to try and counteract radiation in the soil as the old man Takano does. They really did collect oysters left inland by the tsunami as Kawabata does. And offers for paid medical trials were sent to foreigners working in Japan at the time - including the author.
As you read, you really feel you get a true picture of what life could be like in a devastated Japan. Most people encountered by Ryo and Makoto are kind and hospitable. Despite the black clouds over Tokyo and the detritus of the lives once lived littered along the roads and in the towns, the land is still beautiful and meaningful. I could see it.
It can be difficult to sift out the rubbish over in the Kindle store, can't it? But there are gems there. And I think ''Flowers from Fukushima'' is one of them. It's a haunting story but a lovely one, too, filled with juxtapositions of sadness and joy and despair and hope. Despite the post-apocalyptic setting, it's an affectionate book, imbued with Japanese virtues of politeness, hospitality and duty, and vivid descriptions of beautiful landscapes. I was completely absorbed by it and rather sad when it all came to an end and there was no more to read.