Amrita

A celebrated actress who has died in mysterious and shocking circumstances leaves behind an unconventional extended family that includes an older sister, a woman in her twenties through whose eyes the story unfolds; a young brother who possesses mystical powers; and a fiance who is writing a novel with uncanny parallels to his own story. 'Her novels can have the effect of addictive drugs . . . Pathos, nostalgia, the sense of exquisite sadness at the fleetingness of life are key elements of beauty in Japanese aesthetics, and all are themes central to Yoshimoto's books.' The Times Author Biography: Banana Yoshimoto is the prize-winning and internationally bestselling author of many works of fiction, including Kitchen, Goodbye Tsugumi and The Premonition. Her work has been translated in over thirty countries. She lives in Tokyo. Amrita by Banana Yoshimoto: 'Pathos, nostalgia, the sense of exquisite sadness at the fleetingness of life are key elements of beauty in Japanese aesthetics, and all are themes central to Yoshimoto's books.' (The Times)