*Sewing Machine and Goldfish* by [Japan] Mito Nagai Publisher: Hunan Fine Arts Publishing House

About the content · · · · · ·
【A life struggling for survival, yet with the capacity for love】

“The flowers are so beautiful. Today is the day I die.”

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★ A poignant story of aging that resonates deeply, a debut from an amateur writer that has stunned the literary world.

“A monologue of an elderly woman deeply immersed in cognitive impairment,” winner of the Subaru Literary Prize, shortlisted for the Yukio Mishima Prize & Noma Literary New Face Prize, and sparked widespread social discussion; acclaimed authors such as Ito Ogawa, Mieko Kawakami, Hitomi Kanehara, and Sonoko Machida were deeply moved and highly recommended it.

★ Directly confronting aging and caregiving, a profound exploration of aging and women's dilemmas; hailed as a “revolutionary novel” from the perspective of cognitive impairment!

Grandma Yoshika, while coping with the physical frailty, cognitive impairment, and difficulty with self-defecation brought by old age, also allows her thoughts to jump back and forth, tracing the marks of despair and happiness, abandonment and protection in her life.

This book offers readers a first-person perspective from an elder, illustrating how aging transforms body and mind, whether health and dignity can coexist, and how caregivers can connect with the hearts of the elderly.

★ A life struggling for survival, yet with the capacity for love.

This small book encapsulates the arduous yet ordinary life of a woman. She never went to school, never heard of gender equality, and didn't know what female independence was; she just desperately pedaled the sewing machine; because only when pedaling the sewing machine could she think of nothing, relax, and persist as a human being, to live.

★ Down-to-earth characters and language, bringing a double shock of literary quality and emotional resonance.

The colloquial monologue and fragmented thoughts immerse readers in Grandma Yoshika’s muddled inner world.

The author, a former caregiver, was over fifty and had suffered from COVID-19, at one point critically ill, when writing this book, making her depiction of disabled elderly individuals almost brutally realistic.

★ Small 32-open pocket-sized book, paperback with double covers, light and portable; the interior uses high-grade pure paper, smooth and easy to open; comes with an exquisite bookmark.

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About the content

Grandma Yasuda Yoshika is frail and old, and also shows symptoms of cognitive impairment. Getting out of bed and going to the toilet in the morning is a struggle, but she insists on living in her own house. Her life now consists of three types of days: days with home care, days at the day care center, and days when her deceased son's wife visits.

She drifts in the chaos of reality and memories, muttering incoherently, gradually losing her self-care ability and moving towards the end of her life, while her thoughts jump back and forth...

In her story, the sewing machine is about survival, and the goldfish points to love; the sewing machine gave her dignity and freedom, and the goldfish gave her the obsession to live.

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Ito Ogawa (renowned bestselling author): “Ms. Yoshika” still lingers deep in my heart. This book encapsulates everything about life, telling a truly wonderful story.

Mieko Kawakami (winner of the Akutagawa Prize, Tanizaki Junichiro Prize, Murasaki Shikibu Literary Prize, etc.): I read a magnificent work.

Hitomi Kanehara (winner of the Akutagawa Prize, Subaru Literary Prize, Tanizaki Junichiro Prize, etc.): I think this work is truly impeccable, incredibly solid, and substantial. ... In this sense, I believe it is a revolutionary novel.

Sonoko Machida (winner of the Japan Booksellers' Award): I saw my late grandmother in Grandma Yoshika. Live well, I am sure I too will encounter the flowers my grandmother once saw.