Literary Pick (****)

A Tale for the Time Being
by Ruth Ozeki

I love how Japanese novels seem to be so low-key and relaxing to read, that's why it has become my favorite genre other than biographies.
Because of this novel I enjoyed independently learning about the Japanese tsunami flotsam debris (about 1.5 million tons) washing ashore the Canadian coast due to the 9.0 earthquake that occurred in 2011 and killed nearly 20,000 people. Many strange items were found in the debris in BC, including a Harley Davidson bike which was offered to be returned to it's owner Yokoyama, but instead he donated it to the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee USA as a memorial to all those who lost their lives. A football was also found and traced back to a student who had lost every single belonging. Other items such as a fishing boat, a row boat were also found. Japan reportedly gave B.C. 1 million dollars to help with the cleanup.
The novel tells of how a couple living in Canada find the diary of a young girl who is contemplating suicide, and the journey begins to find who the author of this diary is in hopes of saving her.