In the Woods of Memory
Adapted from the Translator’s Preface to the English translation:
In the Woods of Memory has received high praise from critics, such as Sadatoshi Ōshiro, who lauds Medoruma for “his powerful use of language in confronting the taboos of memory,” and Yoshiaki Koshikawa, who writes that the novel brings Medoruma “one more solid step toward becoming a world-renowned literary figure.” Personally, I consider this novel to be Medoruma’s masterpiece.
The novel describes two related incidents that took place on a small island during the Battle of Okinawa: the rape of a young woman, and a young man’s attempt to get revenge. These two main stories are narrated through various points of view, including those of two Americans. Two chapters are set in 1945, while the other eight are set in 2005, the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the war. The focus of the novel, then, is on how past events have impacted the present.
Check out Stone Bridge Press’s publicity page here:
In the Woods of Memory
Check out some online reviews here:
Goodreads Reviews
The Literary Review
Black Warrior Review
Colorado Review
World Literature Today
Cultured Vultures
Forward Reviews
Read an introduction and excerpt here:
The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus