Lion Cross Point, by Masatsugu Ono

This little Japanese novella packs a heart-rending punch, as we witness a broken family through the eyes of a healing ten-year-old boy. Takeru has been sent to live with an older female relative in the little seaside village in which his mother grew up, and which she always said she despised. His burgeoning friendship with a younger neighbor and the care with which the adults in his life now treat him give him a glimpse of what normal familial relationships feel like.

Takeru's former living situation is revealed to us little by little; neglectful mother and her abusive boyfriend, older brother with severe learning disabilities, and the random kindness of strangers that convinces Takeru there is something bigger and better in this world than the hand he has been dealt. I read this on a train ride from Valencia to Barcelona. I should have been watching the scenery but couldn't tear myself away from this powerful piece. When the train pulled into the station I was only ten pages away from finishing and wished I could stay on the train a little longer! This should (and can, at 110 pages) be read in a single sitting, letting the reader feel Takeru's confusion and gradual emotional opening. This is a treasure of translated literature in a beautiful package.

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