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The Lantern of Lost Memories - Sanaka Hiiragi

 


Description

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

A beautifully written book. 

You know they say your life flashes before you when you die? Well in this book the concept is taken to mean a lantern which shows a photograph for every year of your life. The choosing of which photographs are in the lantern is down to the deceased. They meet with a special man in a photography studio while they pass between this world and the next. It is he who helps them navigate the selection of their photographs from a stack of photos, each one a day in their life.

Sometimes the memory they favour the most is not very vivid because it has been replayed by the deceased many times. The photography studio has an answer for this. They let you select a camera and take you back to the day of the memory to retake the photograph. We also get to go back with them, and this is how we learn about the life they have lived.

As you can imagine this is a story for those who like a little fantasy and are not hung up on facts. We meet three people in the book as they decide on their photographs for their lantern. Although this sounds very cosy it does also deal with some very real abuse issues. However they are dealt with sensitively and not too graphically.

There is a little twist toward the end of the book which I just loved. Maybe there will be a follow on book? Which would be very nice to have.

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 22 August 2024.


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