{"product_id":"the-art-of-vanishing-paperback","title":"The Art of Vanishing - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLynne Kutsukake\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A fascinating glimpse into the intersection of art, class, and the complexity of adult friendship. . . . I couldn't put this book down.\" --Waubgeshig Rice, author of \u003ci\u003eMoon of the Turning Leaves\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn intimate, explosive story of creativity and friendship between two young Japanese women in 1970s Tokyo. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAkemi's desire for independence and aversion to marriage are unusual in her small village. A gift for drawing allows her to move to a rooming house in Tokyo where she studies medical illustration, finding satisfaction in the precision and purpose of her work. Sayako is the first roommate to pay Akemi attention, and they quickly become inseparable--Sayako drawn to Akemi's humble origins, so distinct from her own insufferable, wealthy family; Akemi attracted to Sayako's rebelliousness and her aspiration to be a painter.\u003cbr\u003e As Akemi begins to model for Sayako, their connection deepens. Together, they attend 'happenings, ' encounters arranged by two enigmatic artists, Nezu and Kaori, in random locations, intended to free them from their worldly attachments. Following a devastating betrayal, Sayako disappears, and Akemi becomes determined to find her--and in the process, must newly face herself. \u003cbr\u003e Tender, enthralling, and evocative of the energy of Japan in the 1970s, \u003ci\u003eThe Art of Vanishing\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of a young woman struggling to see and be seen; of authenticity and art; of the thin line between loyalty and obsession.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eLYNNE KUTSUKAKE is a novelist and short story writer. Her debut novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Translation of Love\u003c\/i\u003e, won the Canada-Japan Literary Award and the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize. A third-generation Japanese Canadian, she has a master's degree in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto and studied Japanese literature in Japan on a Monbusho Scholarship. Fluent in Japanese, she has translated a short story collection, \u003ci\u003eSingle Sickness and Other Stories\u003c\/i\u003e, by Mizuko Masuda. She has a degree in library and information science and for many years worked as a Japanese Studies librarian at the University of Toronto.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 280\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.72 x 8.25 x 5.63 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 11, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42153108832391,"sku":"9781039008922","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/05d1770833208d1604ff787fc710ab2f.webp?v=1733219052","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/the-art-of-vanishing-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}