The Return of a Shadow
Eizo Osada had his shadow, always there inside his head, ready, unbidden, to announce itself. And it did; criticising, asking awkward questions, prompting. It had been there since he left Japan for Canada over forty years ago. He had left his wife and three young sons, one of them only two years old, to earn money to maintain the family back home.
Then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. A worried Canadian government interned Japanese people. Eizo spent the next few years in camps. After his release his shadow questioned why he did not go back to his family, but there was always a reason why he could not. Then there was the last letter from his wife twenty-three years ago asking him to stay in Canada as there was no employment in war-torn Japan.
So he stayed, living a lonely life, saving so he could send money back. Now, approaching retirement, the time had come to return to the wife and family he had never known for so long. Little did he know what awaited him and how he in turn would become a shadow.
James
It was hard to put down this book once I started!
Award Winning Author
Kunio Yamagishi
Born in Fukushima, Japan, Kunio Yamagishi graduated from Hosei University, Tokyo, and moved to Canada. He worked at the Consulate General of Japan in Toronto as a researcher, wrote numerous reports, and worked in Toronto, Tokyo, and on Wall Street as an investment banker.
His publications include short stories, magazine articles, and academic translation work. His novel, The Return of a Shadow, was a finalist for the International Rubery Book Award in the United Kingdom in 2019.
NB: The University of British Columbia Library has his book in its “Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC)” section. Also, the University of Victoria Library keeps his book in the “Special Collections” section.
Andrew Ferguson
‘The return of a shadow’ is a truly haunting novel that you won’t be able to put down. It tells about the tragic story of a man who tried his hardest to honour his duty as a father, yet faced multiple hardships throughout his life. I learnt so much about the treatment of the Japanese throughout British Columbia’s history, one that isn’t properly taught in schools. I was almost moved to tears many times for the sheer loss and spirit that the main character had faced and overcome. The writing style is very eloquent and picturesque, as I could clearly picture Eizo, the main character, and the story that unfolded. I would highly recommend this novel to everyone! Such a beautiful and well written novel!