{"product_id":"9781935554691","title":"The Lake","description":"\u003cb\u003eA major literary sensation is back with a quietly stunning tour de force about the redemptive power of love.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile\u003ci\u003e The Lake \u003c\/i\u003eshows off many of the features that have made Banana Yoshimoto famous—a cast of vivid and quirky characters, simple yet nuanced prose, a tight plot with an upbeat pace—it’s also one of the most darkly mysterious books she’s ever written.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt tells the tale of a young woman who moves to Tokyo after the death of her mother, hoping to get over her grief and start a career as a graphic artist. She finds herself spending too much time staring out her window, though ... until she realizes she’s gotten used to seeing a young man across the street staring out his window, too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey eventually embark on a hesitant romance, until she learns that he has been the victim of some form of childhood trauma. Visiting two of his friends who live a monastic life beside a beautiful lake, she begins to piece together a series of clues that lead her to suspect his experience may have had something to do with a bizarre secret from his past. . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith echoes of real life events, such as the Aum Shinrikyo cult (the group that released poison gas in the Tokyo subway system) and the kidnapping of Japanese citizens by North Korea, \u003ci\u003eThe Lake\u003c\/i\u003e unfolds as the most powerful novel Banana Yoshimoto has written. And as the two young lovers overcome their troubled past to discover hope in the beautiful solitude of the lake in the countryside, it’s also one of her most moving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFrom the Hardcover edition.\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Melville House Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47164081832176,"sku":"9781935554691","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781935554691_p0.jpg?v=1763656152","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781935554691","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}