cover image Ghost of a Smile

Ghost of a Smile

Deborah Boliver Boehm. Kodansha International (JPN), $25 (256pp) ISBN 978-4-7700-2531-9

Inspired by Japanese tales collected by folklorist Lafcadio Hearn, Boehm set out to write ""escapist pleasure-fare"" that would convey her affection for her adopted country. These eight stories, three of novella length, each include, or retell, a traditional Japanese ghost story, related with panache and humor. Many ghoulish things happen in these tales: people suddenly acquire blank, egglike faces, foxes turn into humans, sumo wrestlers become werewolves and a mysterious caf is frequented by the undead. In the engaging ""Naked in the Moonlight,"" a young goldfish peddler makes several comic attempts in various costumes to gain admission to an exclusive nightclub called Hell. Finally, in frustration, he arrives in his traditional peasant garb and is readily admitted. He encounters a beautiful woman with a terrible secret, but the tone of the story is gentle and sweet and the young man eventually connects with his soul mate. ""The Beast in the Mirror"" plays fast and loose with sumo tradition in several ways, including having a woman become head of a sumo stable. This story of a remorseful sumo werewolf shows a delicate use of language, as the lead character describes his feelings of love as ""like having hives on my heart,"" and the light in the Ginza as ""the color of lemon marmalade."" The longer tales tend to verbosity, veering off on new tangents when they should end. Stunning cover art by Kyosai Kawanabe, ""Hell Courtesan,"" is appropriate to the collection and an attention grabber for display. (Mar.)