“Like a good meditation: quiet, surprising and deeply satisfying.” — New York Times Book Review
“Atmospheric, meditative story of memory and loss in a gentrifying Tokyo neighborhood. . . An elegant story that is in many ways more reminiscent of Mishima and Akutagawa than many contemporary Japanese writers.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki looks at loneliness and loss with uncommon detail and understated force. . . Shibasaki’s minimalist language comes across with poetic sensibility. Every word matters in this unflinching and quietly powerful novella. . . a brief, exquisitely crafted story of human connection in a contemporary, alienating society.” — Shelf Awareness for Readers (Starred Review)
“Measured, understated and poetic at the right moments…making the novel difficult to put down.” — Japan Society Journal (UK)
A “delicate, intimate novella.” — The Lady magazine
