The Rainbow
The Rainbow by Yasunari Kawabata, published by Penguin Canada on October 17, 2024, is a poignant exploration of family dynamics set in post-World War II Japan. This edition spans 224 pages and is presented in English. The narrative follows two half-sisters, Asako and Momoko, as they navigate their complex relationships and the lingering effects of their shared history, shaped by the traumas of war and personal loss.
Readers will find a deep examination of coming-of-age themes as Asako becomes fixated on finding a third sibling while experiencing love for the first time. In contrast, Momoko grapples with the haunting memories of her kamikaze boyfriend and seeks solace in tumultuous romances. The novel delves into the unbreakable bonds of family and the inescapable legacies left by their mothers, offering a thoughtful reflection on the struggles of identity and connection in a changing world.
Official synopsis Publisher
With the Second World War only a few years in the past, and Japan still reeling from its effects, two half sisters – born to the same father but different mothers – struggle to make sense of the new world in which they are coming of age. Asako, the younger, has become obsessed with locating a third sibling, while also experiencing love for the first time, while Momoko, their father’s first child – haunted by the loss of her kamikaze boyfriend and their final, disturbing days together – seeks comfort in a series of unhealthy romances. And both sisters find themselves unable to outrun the legacies of their late mothers. A thoughtful, probing novel about the enduring traumas of war, the unbreakable bonds of family and the inescapability of the past, The Rainbow is a searing, melancholy work from one of Japan’s greatest writers.
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