' A tender meditation on memory familial bonds and the evanescence of every day
moments ... a profoundly affecting read' - Storizen Magazine ' A believable
slice-of-life window into human nature that resonates on multiple levels' - The Japan Times
FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE JAPANESE BESTSELLER IF CATS DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORLD WHICH HAS SOLD
OVER TWO MILLION COPIES The fragrance of a single stem in a vase. The shimmering
reflection of fireworks in a lake. The quiet of a bookshop as evening falls. The feeling of
opening a brand-new diary and beginning to write ... Moments of beauty endure. But what
happens when you begin to forget? Yuriko leads a quiet orderly life as a piano teacher.
It' s New Year' s Eve and her grown-up son Izumi comes to visit. Yuriko makes him his
favourite meal: omelette and hayashi rice. Together they look like a normal family. But
Yuriko has a secret. Many years earlier when Izumi was a boy Yuriko suddenly disappeared for
an entire year. She returned but the lost year was never discussed. Now as Yuriko begins to
lose her memory Izumi is forced to race against time as he seeks the truth behind this
long-buried mystery. Will he learn to understand the woman his mother once was before it is
too late? And is he ready to become a father himself? One Hundred Flowers is a story about
the preciousness of every moment the beauty and pain of family love and the healing power of
letting go. Translated by Cathy Hirano.
