Synopsis:
One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . .
In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task.
There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, and now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world.
But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers a time when he was kind, and a strong child who is fighting to survive.
Extraordinarily moving and wise, The Lantern of Lost Memories is a beautiful Japanese tale about the people that make us and the moments that change us.
Review:
I received a copy of The Lantern of Lost Memories in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful, uplifting story exploring a kind of ‘in-between’ place where the dead go to view their memories before they move onto the afterlife. It’s a story that deals with death and grief without actually touching on those subjects directly. You feel for all these people and those they’ve left behind, but it’s also a celebration of their life and what they achieved. The outlier here is the final character, Mitsuru, who tragically dies at the hands of her parents, but ultimately she gets her happy ending still.
At just over 200 pages this is a quick read. I was completely taken in by these glimpses of people’s lives and how they lived, and I really liked that Mr. Hirasaki, the photo studio owner, has his own story thread woven throughout the book. I really felt like I got to know all the characters in such a short amount of time, and the focus on one specific day in their life (and how it came to be) really made me fond of them, even the yakuza overseer who I wasn’t sure of at first!
It’s so touching to see each character look at the photos from the life and choose one to represent each year. Printed photos are such a rarity in our time and I really loved the idea of each day being captured by an image. The premise is then that the characters get to visit one of their favourite days from their life one more time, and Hiiragi crafts these memories like snapshots themselves, with mini photos all the way through the memory. It’s so very beautifully written.
This is a truly heart-warming read. It’s so touching and beautiful with such a stunning central premise.
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