The Street of a Thousand Blossoms

A true coming-of-age story, THE STREET OF A THOUSAND BLOSSOMS follows Hiroshi and Kenji Matsumoto, orphaned brothers in the tumultuous period before, during, and after WWII in Japan. As the boys face hunger, cruelty, and the death of friends, their innocence is lost--replaced with their honor and pride as grown men. Through the eyes of the boys, Japan is destroyed and rebuilt. Stephen Park narrates with grace, smoothly delivering the many Japanese names and dialogue. While not overtly acting, he gives life to each character, capturing strong Hiroshi and artistic Kenji. A cast of colorful secondary characters gives depth to the novel, creating a rich portrayal of life in mid-century Japan. J.G.K. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

June 11, 2007
In her ambitious sixth novel (Dreaming Water
; The Samurai's Garden
), Tsukiyama tackles life in Japan before, during and after WWII. The story follows brothers Hiroshi and Kenji Matsumoto through the devastation of war and the hardships of postwar reconstruction. Orphaned when their parents were killed in a boating accident, the boys are raised by their grandparents in Tokyo. In 1939, Hiroshi is 11 and dreams of becoming a sumo champion, and soon Kenji will discover his own passion, to become a master maker of Noh masks. Their grandparents, Yoshio and Fumiko Wada, are vividly rendered; the war years and early postwar years, centered in their home on the street of the novel's title, are powerfully portrayed. Hiroshi and Kenji reach pinnacles of success in their chosen fields as well as in love, and while Tsukiyama's close attention to historical and geographical detail enriches the narrative, she isn't as successful when describing Hiroshi's wrestling career; the matches all begin to blur together. The lingering effects of war, on the other hand, are clear, and these, combined with a nation's search for pride and hope after surrender comprise the novel's oversized heart.