A review by glitterpricked
Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

a beautiful book about being a single mother, and what that means for work/life balance, companionship, and daily life. it is quiet and reflective, which i always love. i adored how every chapter felt like a chronological vignette or short story, occasionally drawing in references from the previous chapters. it was such an interesting structure, and it reminded me a little of osamu dazai's self-portraits, which i read only the day before. it felt fitting to read work by dazai and then by his daughter, as both of them bring autobiographical elements into their writing. these real-life influences, as well as the parallels between father and daughter's careers and literary themes, were heartbreaking. definitely recommend this book!