Kitchen

When first published in 1987, Kitchen, a compilation of two novellas, earned Banana Yoshimoto a spot in the ranks of Japans most acclaimed authors. Her writing is lyrical, honest and unconventional. The first novella follows Mikage Sakurai as she is grieving the loss of her grandmother, her last close relative. In this touching story about communion, friendship and chosen family, Yoshimoto effortlessly weaves in food as an indispensable source of comfort and connection. Warning: you will want to make ramen after reading this, so have the ingredients on hand. The second novella also centres the grief of Satsuki, who has recently lost her boyfriend. This is a story which is distinct from the first. It explores different sides of grief by being on the one hand grounding, raw, achingly honest, and on the other hand spiritual, mystifying and enigmatic.