THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE

Nanako Vera Mizushima strikes just the right notes in her narration of this gentle tale of magic and healing in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Amid the chaos, Yui, who is fleeing an abusive husband, and Hiyori, an orphan uprooted from her home, are taken in by a kindly old woman named Ob chan, who is no ordinary granny. Translator Udagawa leaves intact some Japanese vocabulary, and Mizushima transitions from standard English intonation to unstressed Japanese enunciation with casual ease. She gives Ob chan a no-nonsense warmth that steals the show. Listeners will share Yui and Hiyori's confidence in the old woman as they all work together to bring their community back from trauma. A quiet delight. V.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2024]