Banana Yoshimoto "Amrita."
A celebrated actress dies under mysterious and shocking circumstances, leaving behind an unconventional extended family that includes her novelist fiance, a young brother with mystical powers, and a younger sister, the narrator of the story.
In the popular young author's latest novel, an oddly winsome blend of personal psychology and the paranormal overlay the story of a young woman's fight to reclaim herself after twin tragedies. Twentysomething Sakumi lives in Tokyo with her nontraditional family, all of them recovering from the shocking death of Sakumi's younger sister, noted actress Mayu. Shortly after Mayu's death, Sakumi falls down a staircase, sustaining injuries that continue to distort her memory and perception well after her physical recovery. As she reaches toward wholeness, Sakumi interacts with several colorful, warm, and often clairvoyant people, most importantly her young brother, who begins to exhibit uncanny abilities and adult restlessness midway through grade school. The earnest, peripatetic confusion of Sakumi's narrative whisks the reader from one peak moment to another, as Sakumi integrates her sometimes-mundane, sometimes-astonishing experiences.
Hardcover with DJ, 1997.
New book. Very minor shelf wear.