First, thanks to Babelio and the publisher for sending me this book as part of their « Masse critique » (mass reviews) operation.
How did Céline Chevet created a novel with both dark and soft atmosphere, where the shop's customer's despair flows out the pages (and not only for good reasons), where the character's pasts definitely aren't flowers and glitter, but does not give anxiety ? Who knows. Maybe thanks to the hot tea and warm summer breeze, plus a few yokai wandering around. The book's spirit is close to the excellent « Kakurenbô » series from Subaru-D, in a little less pessimistic version, but still talking about grieving, loss, illness, giving up on love, sacrifices, murders.
Maybe because the characters feel a bit distant too, even when we discover their past and secrets. Chapters switch between flashbacks and present time, connecting both. Storytelling doesn't lets any doubts about how this will end for Kishino, Mary, Hiro and Kumiko but it definitely can't be considered a « bad ending » because it's the only logical one. Everything leads there, obvious and more subtle (like in « Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, only making sense at the end) clues. The plot gradually becomes clear. Nothing lacks. Nothing is useless.
While it's not an ownvoices book, it shows the author spent a good amount of time in Japan and doesn't suffers the lack of immersion or superficiality sometimes encountered in books written by occidental authors. It's even the opposite here ; some terms are explained but it took me some time to realize others were not. If you aren't familiar with them... but as no one will open this book by accident, obviously, it's assumed you already know a bit about Japanese culture.
Finally, my only regret is not having discovered this book in summer, when the atmosphere matched the story.