ASH

In this candid tale of modern Japan told from the perspective of an American English instructor, Thompson explores Caitlin Ober's struggle to come to grips with the loss of her best childhood friend, Mei, and Caitlin's budding friendship with 14-year-old Naomi, a half Japanese–half American girl. Set in Kyoto and Kagoshima, cities overshadowed by the active volcano Sakurajima, the novel begins when Naomi approaches Caitlin in a public garden and asks her to sign the will she has just written. Caitlin, absorbed in her past, grudgingly finds herself becoming involved in needy Naomi's life, and the two travel together to Kyoto. There, during the festival of O-Bon, when the spirits of the dead revisit the earth, Caitlin physically retraces the events of the fateful day of Mei's drowning and begins to forgive herself for being unable to save her friend. When she revisits the wife of a Shinto priest, who comforted her 15 years earlier, she gradually realizes that "death's timing is not always fair." Meanwhile, the usually self-centered Naomi focuses less on her own problems as she empathizes more with Caitlin's loss. Thompson, who lives in Kamakura, Japan, sustains the narrative with plenty of insight into Japanese culture, acquainting readers with cultural expectations and mannerisms. While the plot sometimes meanders, this thoughtful debut should satisfy readers in search of a convincing fictional take on life in contemporary Japan. (Oct.)