Book

Where the wild ladies are / Aoko Matsuda ; translated from the Japanese by Polly Barton.

Matsuda, Aoko, 1979- (author.). Barton, Polly (Translator), (translator.).

Summary:

"In this witty and exuberant collection of linked stories, Aoko Matsuda takes the rich, millenia-old tradition of Japanese folktales-shapeshifting wives and foxes, magical trees and wells-and wholly reinvents them, presenting a world in which humans are consoled, guided, challenged, and transformed by the only sometimes visible forces that surround them. A busybody aunt who disapproves of hair removal; a pair of door-to-door saleswomen hawking portable lanterns; a cheerful lover who visits every night to take a luxurious bath; a silent house-caller who babysits and cleans while a single mother is out working. Where the Wild Ladies Are is populated by these and many other spirited women-who also happen to be ghosts. This is a realm in which jealousy, stubbornness, and other excessive "feminine" passions are not to be feared or suppressed, but rather cultivated; and, chances are, a man named Mr. Tei will notice your talents and recruit you, dead or alive (preferably dead), to join his mysterious company."-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781593766900
ISBN: 1593766904
ISBN: 9781593766917
ISBN: 1593766912
Physical Description: xiii, 269 pages ; 21 cm
Edition: First Soft Skull edition.
Publisher: New York, NY : Soft Skull Press, 2020.
Copyright: ©2020

Content descriptions

Formatted Contents Note:

Smartening up -- The peony lanterns -- My superpower -- Quite a catch -- The jealous type -- Where the wild ladies are -- Loved one -- A fox's life -- What she can do -- Enoki -- Silently burning -- A new recruit -- Team Sarashina -- A day off -- Having a blast -- The missing one -- On high.