Rose tree Loquat tree Lemon tree

Author: Kaori Igarashi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-12-01
Features: The heart of love cannot be stopped. Nine women, spitting out private threads from the chewing of life, weave a dense net, forming a story that no one can stop—Housewife Toko is cherished by her husband but refuses to be ordinary. Magazine editor Riko is capable in both the dining room and the kitchen but has nowhere to vent her emotional distance from her husband, Tatsuya, and they ultimately break up. University student Sakura, working at the magazine, has a passionate crush on Tatsuya, driving him to avoid her. Model Hina falls for Tatsuya and accidentally gets pregnant with his child. Toko’s younger sister, Kusa, is infatuated with her older sister’s ex-boyfriend, Yamagishi, but struggles to get his attention. Florist Emiko cannot tolerate her husband’s infidelity and splits up with him, yet she can’t stand the hollow feeling of being alone. Housewife Ayame already has a son but still longs for a daughter to change her situation. At 40, the singleist Mariko falls for Yamagishi at first sight, but Yamagishi lacks the vigorous romantic energy of women. Yamagishi’s wife, Michiko, after a period of "moral stumbling," returns to her husband. Though of different ages and backgrounds, they all remain faithful to their feelings, engage with men by their own will, and decide how to interact with them.
Content of the Book: Toko’s favorite flower is lily of the valley. Because of its fresh scent. She wants to pair it with violets and gentian to make a lush bouquet. She wraps the roots with wet paper towels, ties them with rubber bands, and then wraps the entire bouquet in paper. Emiko’s hands move skillfully and accurately. Emiko’s hands are very large, noticeably prominent in proportion to her body. Toko thinks, "That’s the hand of a woman who does things." Her fingers are long, and her tendons and muscles are strong. "What about the black ones?" Emiko takes the money Toko handed over and opens the cash register. Colorful ribbons hang on the wall, scissors and ballpoint pens are placed on the counter, and a basket is filled with candies. "For home."