Fire Flowers
Ben Byrne
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
In this "promising literary debut," three Japanese citizens and one American reporter rebuild their lives in the aftermath of Japan's WWII surrender (The Independent).
Japan, 1945. The country has just surrendered to the Allied forces after suffering the devastation of nuclear warfare. Satsuko Takara and her teenage brother, Hiroshi, have lost both their parents, and each other, during the firestorm that devastated Tokyo five months before. Documenting the destruction of the war is Hal Lynch, a haunted US photojournalist, who stumbles upon a shocking story and is determined to bring it to light. And Osamu Maruki, a dissolute writer and once Satsuko's lover, has returned from the South Pacific a broken and changed man.The war-torn streets of Tokyo come alive in this dazzlingly observed debut novel as the lives of these former enemies come together. Fire Flowers powerfully portrays the shock, the struggles, and the difficult choices that arise from the destruction of war. "An impressive and nuanced account of a dark moment in history."--The Independent.
Product Details
Price
$17.00
$15.81
Publisher
Europa Editions
Publish Date
February 03, 2015
Pages
368
Dimensions
5.1 X 8.2 X 1.2 inches | 1.0 pounds
Language
English
Type
Paperback
EAN/UPC
9781609452483
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About the Author
Ben Byrne was born in London in 1977. He studied Drama at the University of Manchester and then lived in San Francisco for several years working as an international market researcher and ethnographic film maker. This job took him to Japan, where he spent considerable time exploring its history and culture. He returned to London to dedicate his time more fully to writing, and his short fiction has appeared in Litro magazine. Fireflies is his first novel.
Reviews
"The novel offers a kaleidoscope of postwar Japanese life [...] Bryne's writing is clear and charming."
--Kirkus Reviews "An impressive and nuanced account of a dark moment in history--and a promising literary debut."
--The Independent "It was a gripping historical story, heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measure. A remarkable debut--I loved it."
--Shiny New Books
--Kirkus Reviews "An impressive and nuanced account of a dark moment in history--and a promising literary debut."
--The Independent "It was a gripping historical story, heart-breaking and heart-warming in equal measure. A remarkable debut--I loved it."
--Shiny New Books
