DEAD-END MEMORIES

u003cbu003e"This is a supremely hopeful book, one that feels important because it shows that happiness, while not always easy, is still a subject worthy of art." —Brandon Taylor, u003ciu003eThe New York Times Book Reviewu003c/iu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eJapan's internationally celebrated master storyteller returns with five stories of women on their way to healing that vividly portrays the blissful moments and everyday sorrows that surround us in everyday lifeu003c/bu003eu003cbru003eu003cbru003eFirst published in Japan in 2003 and never before published in the United States, u003ciu003eDead-End Memories u003c/iu003ecollects the stories of five women who, following sudden and painful events, quietly discover their ways back to recovery.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAmong the women we meet in u003ciu003eDead-End Memoriesu003c/iu003e is one betrayed by her fiancé who finds a perfect refuge in an apartment above her uncle's bar while seeking the real meaning of happiness. In "House of Ghosts," the daughter of a yoshoku restaurant owner encounters the ghosts of a sweet elderly couple who haven't yet realized that they've been dead for years. In "Tomo-chan's Happiness," an office worker who is a victim of sexual assault finally catches sight of the hope of romance.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eYoshimoto's gentle, effortless prose reminds us that one true miracle can be as simple as having someone to share a meal with, and that happiness is always within us if only we take a moment to pause and reflect. Discover this collection of what Yoshimoto herself calls the "most precious work of my writing career."