A review by emergencily
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

4.0

  •  a nice concise read with two short stories about grief, healing, growing up & chosen family
  • both stories are told from the perspectives of young women who have lost a loved one (in one story, a grandmother, in the second, a boyfriend)
  • the translation is a bit clunky at times, but the prose was still really beautiful in a minimal way and really connects you to the characters and their emotions
  • overall a lovely and emotional book BUT the misguided depiction of trans identity and the shallow, dated coverage of a transphobic hate crime really falls short for me so just know that's in there