The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop, Takuya Asakura (translated by Yuka Maeno)

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The Cherry Blossom Bookshop only appears during the fleeting cherry blossom season, and to access it you have to be reading the exact same passage in the same book as the owner, Sakura, at the exact same time. You might think this would make it near impossible for anyone to ever get through, but throughout the book we meet four characters whose time at the shop gives them a chance to gain new insight and move on from past hurt. In the final visitor’s story we also learn a bit more about the origin of the shop and its inhabitants. 

Sakura and her calico cat Kobako tend the shop and offer a safe space for their visitors. Many of the stories we see unfold involve grief and regrets. In the first, we meet a woman whose mother has recently died, whose career seems to be on the brink of crumbling, and whose brother hasn’t been around to share the burden. The shop allows her a chance to re-evaluate the actions of her mother and reflect on what it meant for her. Next, we meet Shingo, an older man who is suffering from dementia. He misses his departed wife terribly - can the shop allow him a chance to see her once more, and to reconnect with the family he has? Twins Shiho and Kaho find themselves needing to revisit a significant moment from their young adult lives, a moment which has haunted them both and which they wish they could have spoken about freely. Finally, we meet Kozue, whose mother has disappeared and whose father has become stuck, not wanting to admit that she is gone. 

This book gives the impression of being a cosy read, but do not be fooled into thinking it will be all feel-good. As mentioned above, each character is going through a difficult time in one way or another, and the sadness does come out. Ultimately, they find comfort or release in the bookshop so it does not feel like a melancholy book, but it is certainly not cheerful escapism. The final sections become quite philosophical and meta which I quite enjoyed. I also enjoyed the translator’s note at the end which explained a bit about the Japanese language and its intricacies that the average English-language reader wouldn’t know, allowing us to better understand some of the specifics of the book.

This was my first foray into the cosy Japanese magical realism novels that have been proliferating in bookshops over recent years. It was a thoughtful read and quite enjoyable, but the books in it felt incidental more than integral - they are vehicles for the story. For some of the characters they feel more embedded in their stories, but this wasn’t a love letter to books in the way some bookshop based books are. Enjoyable, interesting, and with a beautiful cover, this makes a nice read for Spring.

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How To Kill A Witch, Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi

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This post is part of a blog tour. Thank you to Random Things Tours and Monoray for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Mitchell, a human rights lawyer and Venditozza, writer, came together to form the Witches of Scotland campaign in 2020, seeking justice for the nearly 4000 individuals who were accused of witchcraft in Scotland between 1563 and 1736. This book is the next step in the project, bringing together their research into an accessible book which takes you step by step through the process of having a person accused and condemned as a witch. It delves into particular instances as well as discussing the broader activities of the likes of witch prickers. Most of the cases are Scotland based but they do commit a chapter to the infamous Salem witch trials, and dispel a few misconceptions along the way. The final section of the book looks at accusations of witchcraft that are still occurring around the world now, and the ways in which women continue to be the victim of misogyny - the label might have changed (in some cases) but the prejudices haven’t changed that much.

The subject of the book is dark but the writing is conversational and easy to read. They include many asides in footnotes, which do sometimes distract from the main text (there’s rarely a page without at least one footnote) but they are often informative or amusing. We learn about the horrendous treatment of those accused of witchcraft. They were tortured, forcibly kept awake for days at a time, and sometimes had their loved ones tortured in front of them to try and gain a confession. One thing that became crystal clear while reading the book is how utterly pointless forcing confessions from people with torture is. The confession is meaningless, and their contemporaries seem to have been aware of this as it was often claimed confessions were made without any coercion. Often it seems confessions were redacted as they were going to their death. There is also suspicion that some recorded confessions were entirely made up by the authorities in order to justify their horrific actions. The records of Scottish witch trials are fairly sparse, sometimes the names of the accused are not even recorded, merely that a group of witches were executed. This was not the case in the Salem witch trials in America, meaning that more research has been possible into the victims, and that it has been easier to identify those who need pardoning posthumously.

Mitchell and Venditozzi make it clear throughout that although there were a small number of men accused of witchcraft, it is largely a feminist issue. The odds were stacked against women - it was believed that God would intervene against injustice therefore if He allowed a witch to be executed surely this was a sign of guilt. There was also a belief that if a witch had a witch's mark that was undiscovered she would never confess. Belief systems made it impossible for the accused to prove their innocence, being accused in itself was practically a death sentence. Contradictions make themselves clear in approaches to investigation and proving wrongdoing, but also in the mindset which believes women are weaker creatures and therefore more likely to be tempted by the Devil while also being responsible for luring men into wrongful behaviour. Ideas that will be familiar to many a twenty-first century reader.

The book details the awful experiences of those who were accused. Being examined by witch prickers which involved being stripped and shaved and having needles or knives stuck into various parts of the body until they found any mark that could be seen as a sign of the Devil or which didn’t bleed. There was undoubtedly a sexual nature to this examination, carried out by men on women with nobody on their side. The grisly deaths that met many of the victims of this time are also described, and although they do not shy away from the horrors nor do they dwell unnecessarily on details. We are informed but it never feels gratuitous. It is clear that this period in history was an awful time of persecution. They lay out the factors that often lead to such actions, including difficult global times, insecurity, and the spread of harmful ideas. Parallels are made with the modern world. 

A fascinating, well researched book that reveals the true horror behind the witch trials in Scotland, a period of history which isn’t widely taught. They give voice to the victims by naming them and highlighting their innocence. There are also short fictional sections throughout which help put you in the head of the participants, bringing to life the world they were living in. 

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The Brontës In Brussels, Helen MacEwan

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Many Brontë fans will know of Charlotte’s unrequited love for her teacher in Brussels, M. Heger, and the impact it had on her writing. MacEwan’s book delves deeper into her and Emily’s time in Belgium and the remnants of the city they knew that are still visible today. Throughout, both the modern city and the nineteenth century one are brought to life. Accompanied by modern photographs and historic illustrations, whether or not you have been to the Belgian capital, you feel transported through the pages of this book. 

In 1842 the two sisters embarked on a trip to Brussels hoping to improve their French and German and learn skills that would help them run their own school. We see them struggle to assimilate and finding socialising difficult even with generous and willing hosts. They are judgmental of many of the people they meet and largely keep to themselves. Emily is unhappy and does not return after a visit back to Haworth. Charlotte does return, ignoring a feeling that it is a bad idea. She finds it hard to be separated from Heger but he becomes increasingly distant and she falls into a depression. As difficult as the sisters come across at times you can’t help but feel for Charlotte in her first taste of romantic love and the agony of not hearing from someone who means so much to you. The focus of the book is really Charlotte, whose experience in Brussels had a much greater impact on her life than Emily. 

Emily and Charlotte spent only a fairly short amount of time abroad and there is not much left of the city they knew, which can make it feel as though there’s not much to say in this book. It is padded out with summaries of Villette and The Professor. There are extracts included throughout which relate to the particular time or place MacEwan is discussing at the time. Perhaps more interesting to readers are translations of some of their devoirs, less readily available. We learn also of how the record of their time in Belgium has spread. Heger is said to have handed out some of their work to pilgrims to the pensionnat wanting a glimpse of Lucy Snowe’s school.

This is an interesting book, with a detailed walking guide if you want to go and explore the city yourself. I read it just before a visit and it really gave me a sense of the place. I didn’t go on a Brontë pilgrimage, but did stop off at the cathedral, which felt more meaningful having read the book. I’ve read all the published Brontë novels but not for a while so the excerpts and details of how each book is thought to have been inspired by their experiences and particular places were useful. The story doesn’t stop when Charlotte leaves, taking us through to her premature death. A nice addition to the bookshelves of Brontë fans who want to deep dive on this particular period in their history, or who want to explore the city through the lens of their experiences. 

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