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One of the pleasures of reading work by Naomi Hirahara is to learn about a culture and time that she knows well and presents seamlessly. Another is to wonder how it is she can create a relatively unlikable protagonist and get you to care, every step of the way, what happens to him. Mas Arai is a taciturn, grumpy middle- aged man. He is a widower with few friends and is losing customers in his long-time gardening business. When his closest friend, Haruo, asks him to be best man at his wedding, Mas is not the best Best Man - he's nervous, he's uncomfortable in the public gaze, he's not big on formality, but this is an obligation and this is a man who honors and understands obligations. So when Haruo goes missing and suddenly there are items missing from his fiancée's house, Mas gets involved. I've been a fan of this series from day one with SUMMER OF THE BIG BACHI. Mas Arai is a unique protagonist. A survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, he's made his way in the world with a family, friends and work. Often it's not exactly clear why people put up with him but he's doggedly loyal and persistent. He clearly believes in justice and in doing the right thing, even when he's wishing someone would do it for him. He may not like you, but he'll do right by you. The "Girls' Day" dolls which feature in this book remind me of an early love of all things Japanese when I was young. Girls' Day meant dolls, Boys' Day meant kites. The dolls can be valuable but are less important in assimilated American-Japanese culture. There's still a lot to learn about traditional culture and about the changes that more modern ways bring to life. Combine that with the complex whodunit here and you've got, once again, an intriguing book from a talented author.
Reviewed by Andi Shechter, March 2010
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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