A warm story about the importance of connection in the process of healing from the pain of loss; in this book Itani’s fiction focuses on the lives of five members of a grief group. The first chapters introduce each person in turn, but Itani makes the introductions interesting and I found myself easily drawn into their lives. When the grief group is organised in the local café, the people introduced finally meet each other, and the novel gets underway as a very real and empathic study of grief.
Grief is complicated, but Itani examines the various aspects of the topic sympathetically, developing themes very easily, yet deliberately. Not a lot happens in this novel, but there is a lot going on. It was a book club pick for me, and I really look forward to the discussion. There’s going to be a lot to talk about! I wouldn’t recommend it to those who enjoy fast-paced page-turners, but for the thoughtful reader interested in everyday humanity this one is a gem.
I’ve read one other book by this Canadian author, Requiem, which I also enjoyed and have always wanted to read more. Requiem focuses on the Japanese Internment camps, the history of which also informs one of the characters in this novel.
Joanne's Reading Blog 
I’ve never heard of this book before, but it looks good! I’ll be adding this one to my TBR list, thanks. 🙂
I loved this book! But it took a few chapters to really have a clear picture of what was happening. So when I finished it, I started it again!
I loved how Itani threw in little things that we all experience in life. It made me smile and often laugh out loud.
As a hospice caregiver, I so appreciated hearing how individuals deal with grief long after the loss. Loss, something we will all face eventually.
A wonderful book for a book club indeed!
Thanks for your comment Rita! Glad you enjoyed the book and your points are so true. I found the same thing at the beginning and just took brief notes on each new character to keep them straight. But later on I didn’t need the cheat sheet anymore. Yes, the focus on how differently grief manifests in different people was also captured well and something to appreciate.