Sakura by Kanako Nishi and translated by Allison Markin Powell

Join us for a conversation with author Kanako Nishi and translator Allison Markin Powell to celebrate the launch of Sakura, a heartwarming tale about familial love. The discussion will be followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

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Available in English at last, the international bestseller from one of Japan's most acclaimed authors, a touching tale of a broken family contending with the pain of the past to live in the present, helped by the unforgettable dog who becomes their lifeline.
Sakura is the story of a family who is happy, until it isn’t. Skipping back and forth in time, it begins when the narrator, Kaoru, receives a letter from his estranged father announcing he will be home in Osaka for New Year’s. The letter spurs Kaoru to go back to his childhood home, and though he is apprehensive at returning, his spirits are unexpectedly lifted when he is greeted by Sakura, the family dog.
Growing up, the Hasegawas were the perfect family. Kaoru’s loving parents doted on their children. Kaoru’s baby sister, Miki, was cute and charismatic, and his older brother, Hajime—a natural leader, athlete, and charmer—was the superstar. The middle child, Kaoru was good at school, but not a star student, friendly with girls but never popular. He was content to exist in Hajime’s shadow, and occasionally bask in his light. Then Hajime was involved in a tragic accident that fractured the Hasegawas, with nothing to keep them together but memories and melancholy.
Returning home, Kaoru and his family must find the strength to reckon with the past and pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Luckily, there is Sakura, who somehow has managed to stay happy. What’s her secret? As the Hasegawas learn to let go, it is Sakura who holds the key to help them move forward.
A major bestseller in Japan now available in English, Sakura is tender, bittersweet, funny, and beautifully told tale about the magic and mysteries of familial love, from one of Japan's most acclaimed writers.

Kanako Nishi was born in Tehran and grew up in Osaka and Cairo. Sakura, her debut novel, was published in 2005 and remains a beloved and longtime bestseller. She has won numerous literary awards, including the Naoki Prize and Yomiuri Prize for Literature. A versatile writer and artist, her drawings adorn the covers of many of her novels, her memoir, short story, and essay collections, and she has written and illustrated several children’s books.

Photo Credit: Shingo Wakagi

Allison Markin Powell is a literary translator, editor, and publishing consultant. She received the 2020 PEN America Translation Prize for The Ten Loves of Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami. Her other translations and co-translations include works by Osamu Dazai, Shiori Ito, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and Kaoru Takamura.

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