Kitchen
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, published by Grove Press in 1979, is a poignant exploration of love and loss through the lens of contemporary Japanese life. This 1st Black Cat edition, comprising 152 pages, presents the story of Mikage, an orphan who finds solace in the kitchen and the unconventional family she forms with her friend Yoichi and his mother, Eriko. As they navigate their shared grief and the complexities of their relationships, Yoshimoto crafts a narrative that highlights the significance of home and the emotional connections that arise within it.
Readers will discover a blend of two interwoven tales that delve into themes of motherhood, tragedy, and the comforts of domestic life. The book’s whimsical style and evocative prose invite reflection on the power of the kitchen as a central space for healing and connection. With its focus on psychological and cultural elements, Kitchen stands as a notable work in world literature, offering insights into the lives of free-spirited women in Japan.
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“Ms. Yoshimoto’s writing is lucid, earnest and disarming. . . . [It] seizes hold of the reader’s sympathy and refuses to let go.” –Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
An orphan finds comfort in the kitchen, and in her chosen family, in this classic of contemporary Japanese literature
With the publication of Kitchen, the dazzling English-language debut that is still her best-loved book, the literary world realized that Yoshimoto was a young writer of enduring talent whose work has quickly earned a place among the best of contemporary Japanese literature. Kitchen is an enchantingly original book that juxtaposes two tales about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan. Mikage, the heroine, is an orphan raised by her grandmother, who has passed away. Grieving, Mikage is taken in by her friend Yoichi and his mother (who is really his cross-dressing father) Eriko. As the three of them form an improvised family that soon weathers its own tragic losses, Yoshimoto spins a lovely, evocative tale with the kitchen and the comforts of home at its heart.
In a whimsical style that recalls the early Marguerite Duras, “Kitchen” and its companion story, “Moonlight Shadow,” are elegant tales whose seeming simplicity is the ruse of a very special writer whose voice echoes in the mind and the soul.
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