A review by sbn42
Moshi moshi by Banana Yoshimoto

3.0

This is the first Japanese author's novel that I have been able to complete. The story revolves around a young woman, her mother, her father's ghost, and several of his old acquaintances. The father dies at the hand of his mistress, leaving mother and daughter to deal with the shock. The daughter has to move out to keep from being smothered by her mother's grief. She finds a tiny apartment in a hipster neighborhood of Tokyo, starts to deal with her grief, and finds a job in a bistro. She has a surprise when her mother leaves the fancy apartment the family had and moves in with her, temporarily, just as she begins to deal with her grief.

The story paints a wonderful picture of the funky neighborhood that is full of life. The energy is absorbed by her mother who seems to come to terms with her situation and blossoms. Unfortunately, we get very little of her story. The daughter seems to revel in her agony. She finally has to start to plan ahead when she finds out the building the bistro is in is to be demolished. She plans to meet the bistro owner in France to try and develop ideas for a new restaurant.

Descriptions of the food and music and neighborhood wrap around you like a warm garden, until the last part of the book. All the sudden, the daughter makes a couple bad decisions that are incongruous.

The translation was awkward in a number of places, just enough to remind you that this is not a native english writer.