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The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Short Stories

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The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Short Stories

By: Rebecca Otowa
Narrated by: Cindy Kay, David Shih
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About this listen

From the unique standpoint of an American woman who married into a Japanese family and has lived in Japan for more than 30 years, Rebecca Otowa weaves enchanting tales of her adopted home that portray the perspective of both the Japanese and the foreigner on the universal issues that face us all - love, work, marriage, death, and family conflict. The collection includes:

"A Year of Coffee and Cake" - A young American wife in the Tokyo suburbs suspects her next-door neighbor of murdering an elderly relative.

"Rhododendron Valley" - An elderly man decides to commit suicide to deal with his terminal illness and to spare his family pain.

"The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper" - A reclusive young Japanese man enjoys the strange hobby of stealing shoes from temples, but it gradually consumes him.

"Genbei's Curse" - A downtrodden woman loses her temper with her demanding, sick father-in-law. Years later, old and sick herself, she can now empathize with him.

And other stories.

©2020 Rebecca Otowa (P)2021 Tantor Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Short Stories Women's Fiction Marriage Feel-Good Japanese Short Story Anthology

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All stars
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Rebecca Otowa has created a beautiful book of stories. It is the kind of book where you find yourself drawn back to it after putting it to one side, wanting to escape back into the wonderful descriptions and twisting tales. My favourite two were Trial by Fire, and The Rescuer. The former is a true story, so well written that you feel as though you are there, transported back in time among the feuding clans. The latter is a more modern affair, slowly revealing the protagonist`s predicament before we find out how this will impact their `life`.
In short, I really can`t recommend this book highly enough. Not just for anyone with an interest in Japan, but for anyone looking for a fine collection of stories that will transport the reader to another world.

Absolutely brilliant.

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