Yuichi and the Bird by Durian Sukegawa

Was it hearing? Or sight? He could not remember how the story began.”

This enchanting novel lets us hear, see, smell, feel, and empathize… It takes us into the depths of each character, from sensitive Yuichi, to the struggling mother Ritsuko, culminating with Johnson, the injured bird. We grow attached and sympathize with them, experiencing life through their eyes.

Following the masterpiece “Sweet Bean Paste”, Durian Sukegawa tells us once again, with his gentle style, a tale of an unexpected meeting between a modest family and the bird they saved. He transports us to the world of the underprivileged, showcasing the harshness of our societies, and prompts us to question the meaning of many things like difference, marginalization, preconceived notions, solidarity, loyalty, childhood, maturity, motherhood, nature, the cycle of life, and life itself.

It is a beautiful and harsh ode to love, friendship, and life, all at once. If “Sweet Bean Paste” was said to be a feast that makes us “laugh, cry, and savor”, then “Yuichi and the Bird” is undoubtedly a flight that makes us “laugh, cry, and be moved”. A remarkable novel that only Japanese literature can offer!