Three Scenarios in which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail

Luce's carefully observed, contemporary Japanese settings include Tokyo, small country towns, and an out-of-the-way inn. Her stories feature Japanese teenagers, pensioners, and academics, along with American expatriates. As for her plots, well, Hana Sasaki is not the only character to grow a tail. The fantastic slips unobtrusively into her narratives. There is a toaster that can predict the cause of a person's death. A rundown karaoke joint houses a gateway to another world. Coins tossed into a fountain tell their stories to the old man who collects them. There is also practical advice on how to handle the Tokyo legal system. (Hint: plead guilty.)

There are only ten stories in this elegantly produced book by a new small press, but they contain an imagination that suggests a world that crosses path with our own in surprising, sometimes melancholy ways. Luce's prose leads the reader into her world, and it proves to be a wonderful place to spend time.