Recommended Reading: Banana Yoshimoto

 

Kitchen.

Banana Yoshimoto.

Don't let the unsuspecting title and the unique author name fool you into thinking that that this book is simple or for children.

So I was referred to this author and particular book of hers by a former student of mine (shout out to Toni if you are reading this!) and I was immediately intrigued by the title and name of author. So I bought it online and went to read it.

It was a rather thin book, and I think it was also translated from Japanese. I honestly didn't think much of it. It contains two stories within: Kitchen and Moonlight Shadow.

But I was blown away. Without giving too much of the story away and at the risk of revealing spoilers(!), let me share my thoughts about the book:

On Kitchen.

Firstly, it dealt with a rather heavy topic from the get-go. It dealt with death and grieving of the death of a loved one. I think the author masterfully crafted a picture that you can immediately grasp the actual condition of the character who was dealing with the death of a loved one. I could picture it in my mind's eye pretty vividly, and it must have been for the detailed description of the setting of the story. 

Next, it also touched on how the character dealt with her grief in her own way. I liked that the author didn't paint her to be a heroine who had everything under control and knew what was happening. The character was written to be one who was in the moment of what happened, and you can easily feel like you are in that space with the character, feeling what she is feeling. 

She found comfort and solace in places that you wouldn't expect her to - and it documents her journey onto finding her footing in the world again through the small and big things around her. 

It also documents her life and the society around her realistically - and also captures the concept of life moving on with or without you rather well. 

A short-but-full-of-feelings-within type of story.

On Moonlight Shadow.

This story also dealt with the same theme: death and grieving of the death of a loved one. 

What stood out to me was how the daily struggles of the person left behind was captured so well. Just getting through a day was tough. Seeing or hearing something that brings that person who left to mind and having flashbacks of the memories makes moving through the day - tough, or crippling, even.

This gave me very Hotel Del Luna (2019) vibes (if you have not seen it - this is my recommended korean drama to you with similar themes! :P)

But what was encouraging (even with such heavy themes) was the presence of supportive characters that made life for the main character - even if just a little - more bearable. A small thoughtful gesture goes a long way, and impacts someone more than you can imagine. 

I think takeaways for me would be:

• Never take life for granted. Remind yourself that small things in your life deserve appreciation as well, not just the big moments. 

• Things may seem unbearable or overwhelming at times. If they do, speak to someone. Reach out. Don't believe the lie that you are alone.

• There is power in the thoughtful gestures done for someone. Listen to that little voice in your mind to say that encouragement, praise or compliment to someone.

• Everyone is going through their own struggles in life. You just may not know what they are. Let's treat everyone with a little more kindness. 

I know I definitely need these reminders daily!

References

Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50144.Kitchen