Product Description

An actress dies in shocking circumstances. She leaves behind an unconventional extended family of three who embark on a journey through grief and suffering, memories lost and gained, forbidden romance, redemption and recovery, and a confrontation with spirits on a remote Pacific island.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #175818 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 356 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Blood ties seemed unrelated to how we were living," Sakumi, the young narrator of Amrita, begins portentously. The "we" of the family comprises a strange blend--Sakumi's mother, twice married (widowed and divorced); a telepathic younger brother; a cousin; and her mother's childhood friend. Grief over the tragic death of Mayu, Sakumi's flamboyant younger sister, binds them together. But this family tragedy is not the only obstacle to happiness and wholeness for Sakumi, who loses her memory in a fall. Her troubles lead to awareness, though, as memories gradually return, leading Sakumi to discover her own identity and move towards acceptance of her sister's death.

Banana Yoshimoto's first novel, Kitchen (1991), traversed the territory of love and loss. Its fabulous success in Japan and the U.S. had to do with her distinct sensibility, a contemporary voice arising from a tradition-conscious culture. Amrita also ventures through the minefield of familial loss, but with a style less driven by the bizarre interface of tradition and pop culture.

Customer Reviews

beautiful and poetic but a little slow
A charming and haunting story of a young woman with a scrambled memory as a result of an accident. This novel combines eastern mysticism, contemporary Japanese culture and family values as the main protagonist deals with the problems in her life. Mystical, poetic and beautifully written, but it is painfully slow at times and often too mysterious for its own good. Nonetheless this is an enjoyable read, you'll miss the characters long after you've read the last page.

Magical, spiritually warming account of young womans life
A beautful story that I have read many times. It is of love, regret, pain and awareness of one's life. The island they visit is magical and full of beauty and the woman who unfolds the story manages to touch various spiritual aspects. The same feeling throughout can be found in all her books, i eagerly await the next novel.

Beautiful, absorbing read
I bought this book to re-read as it had remained in my mind for a few years since I first read it. That doesn't often happen.

It somehow manages to be calming, almost hypnotic yet unsettling at the same time and the story pulls you in and trips you up as you follow it through. The story could appear overly complex but it follows the process of grief which is a long and complex process. It's a remarkably fresh and different book and didn't disappoint in the slightest on a second read.