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There were a few developments in this story that threw me for a loop. In light of some strange coincidences, fate and destiny are raised by the small cast of characters, all of whom are caught in a mutual orbit that carries them through a significant series of changes in their lives. I don't know about fate, per say, but I will say that, were this kind of story to happen outside of fiction, it would rank high in terms of strange. I am glad that I did not read a plot synopsis beforehand, else I would have gone into this with the wrong expectations.

Young people plus summer plus tumultuous romance yields an alloy that many a writer has shaped and pounded in various works of fiction. Yoshimoto gives it life through the sensory impressions of the narrator, whose setting descriptions convey both her and other characters' moods as they get to know one another and confront inner agonies. With spare prose that I found wonderful and remarkable, Yoshimoto creates a story that offers many entry points for open-hearted readers. I was touched by this story.