When the Dead Pause and the Japanese Say Goodbye: A Journey

In her memoir, which takes place shortly after the To¯hoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, novelist Mockett (Picking Bones from Ash) embarks on a poignant spiritual journey through Japan, seeking solace after the death of her American father three years earlier and to bury her Japanese grandfather’s bones. Touching on themes of modernity and tradition, Mockett takes part in various religious customs to come to terms with her grief and understand her mixed-cultural heritage. Beautiful folklore like the story of Moon Princess or the celestial princess weaver Orihime imbue the book with a sense of mystery and authenticity. The author’s background as novelist is evident in her skilled descriptions of the changing seasons—the pink cherry blossoms of spring or the neon rice paddies in autumn—which combine with nuanced details of the nation’s struggle after the March disaster to provide an intimate snapshot of the island nation’s complex culture. Although Mockett’s upbringing gives the memoir the sense of an outsider looking in, at times the comparisons of Japan to the West weigh heavy on the narrative and can distract from the story. Agent: Irene Skolnick, Irene Skolnick Literary Agency. (Jan.)