First Advance Review For Each of Us a Petal

 

 

 REVIEW BY SUZANNE KAMATA

Most of the stories in Amanda Huggins’s Each of Us A Petal take place in distinctly Japanese settings, such as the traditional country house in ‘At the Minka’; Haradani-en, the garden north of the Temple of the Golden Pavilion in 'Sparrow Footprints’; and, in ‘Straight in the Eye’, the Japanese Alps, where bears are known to roam and sometimes menace. Like the Japanese masters, Huggins exerts considerable restraint in telling these stories of shapeshifters, troubled marriages, erotic encounters, and other interactions. They often end with more of a suggestion than a neat and tidy conclusion, while still making an impact, and lingering in the mind. Some borrow from traditional Japanese folklore, or ghost stories, however the mix of Japanese and international characters gives the collection a contemporary tone. Even if one cannot consume this book on an engawa, with a cup of green tea, the stories will transport the reader to Japan.
 
In these brief, understated tales, which are as delicate and beautiful as the gossamer wing of a dragonfly, Huggins pays loving homage to Japan. Ethereal, evocative, and exquisite. – Suzanne Kamata, author of The Beautiful One Has Come and Cinnamon Beach

 

(OUT MAY 2024)