Well....I don´t even know how or where to start... kind of hard to say what this book is actually about. Let´s try with the start. Asa moves to the countryside, because her husband gets relocated with his job. Which means she has to leave her work and daily routines behind and the move transforms her into a housewife. Living next to their in laws, surrounded with small town vibes and nature she tries to adjust to her present life. One day she runs an errand for somebody and bumps into an unknown black animal. Like Alice following the rabbit she falls into a hole.

This is the moment this book gets just weird and it becomes tricky to understand its content or message. She meets random people, strange coversations ramble on, the black animal appears here and there. Little children seem to change into old people. While these events are happening the cicadas seem to sound a constant alarm. So all in all I don´t know how to interpret this book, I might be to narrowminded for that.

Somehow and in a very peculiar way I was still entertained because of its special way of storytelling, and the soft and easy writing style. The book demonstrates the Japanese culture, mentality and powerdynamics in and between genders and family structures. That was something to keep my interest alive. All in all I would recommend this book just to a certain type of people, for instance those with a huge amount of time and who are easily entertained.