Strange Weather in Tokyo Lauren Elkin With the threat of Mussolini's

With the threat of Mussolini's army looming

a summer stroll

Handel stayed true to himself

Hanya Yanagihara’s shattering and luminous novel is a profound exploration of trauma

Strange Weather in Tokyo Lauren Elkin With the threat of Mussolini'sTsukiko, thirty eight, works in an office and lives alone. One night, she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, "Sensei," in a local bar. Tsukiko had only ever called him "Sensei" ("Teacher"). He is thirty years her senior, retired, and presumably a widower. Their relationship develops from a perfunctory acknowledgment of each other as they eat and drink alone at the bar, to a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly