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In Kanazawa, Japan, Emmitt and his wife Mirai clash over how to pursue their future together until a 30-year-old mystery reveals a way forward.
About the author
David Joiner made his first trip to Japan in 1991—a five-month study program in Hokkaido--and three years later moved for the first of seven times to Vietnam. In Japan, where he has also moved numerous times, he has called Sapporo, Akita, Fukui, Tokyo, and most recently the western Japanese city of Kanazawa home.
David Joiner's writing has appeared in literary journals and elsewhere, including
Echoes: Writers in Kyoto 2017, The Brooklyn Rail, Phoebe Journal, The Ontario Review, and
The Madison Review His first novel,
Lotusland, set in contemporary Vietnam, was published in 2015 by Guernica Editions.
Summary
In Kanazawa, Japan, Emmitt and his wife Mirai clash over how to pursue their future together until a 30-year-old mystery reveals a way forward.
Additional text
"David Joiner delivers a slow-burning family drama reminiscent of a film by Yasujirō Ozu or Hirokazu Koreeda."
—Tina deBellegarde, Books on Asia
"With its deliberate, expressive descriptions of the city and the mountains that surround it, Kanazawa is a character driven novel that illustrates the importance of communication and compromise."
—Dontaná McPherson-Joseph, Foreword Reviews
"Filled with lush greenery, formidable mountains, historic castles, and a vibrant local community... Kanazawa casts a shimmering layer of magical novelty around the countryside that has too long been reserved for prominent cities ever since Japan’s industrialization in the early 20th century."
—Ella Kelleher, Asia Media International
"A graceful novel of a graceful city. David Joiner’s Kanazawa interweaves four love affairs, echoing the fantastical writings of the early 20th century writer Izumi Kyoka. At the story’s heart lies the enigmatic bond between Emmitt’s wife’s parents, with a secret only revealed in the novel’s dramatic climax. The other three love affairs, with their own enigmas, are Emmitt’s own - for his wife Mirai, for his adoptive city of Kanazawa, and for his muse Kyoka."
—Alex Kerr, author of Lost Japan and Finding the Heart Sutra
"Atmospheric... and shibui. A quietly captivating tale of life and art in Kanazawa. Slowly sinks its hooks in and doesn't let go."
—Robert Whiting, author Tokyo Junkie
"The grand old city of Kanazawa, its lush historic
environs and rich cultural legacy form the setting of this compelling
narrative. Kanazawa weaves an intriguing story of a Japanese family
worthy of the best of Japanese literature.”
—Roger Pulvers, author of Liv
"In Kanazawa, David Joiner has written a book not unlike its titular city, with great historical depths hidden beneath a deceptively tranquil surface. A story of misunderstandings, miscommunications and family secrets centered around a marriage that seems doomed to fall apart under the weight of unspoken resentments. Above all, Kanazawa drips with a sense of place, the setting much more than just a back drop to the action; Joiner shows that there are plenty of stories taking place outside the vortex of Tokyo. Tense, moving, and subtly gripping, Kanazawa is a welcome addition to the books-about-Japan shelf."
—Iain Maloney, author of The Only Gaijin in the Village
