Naomi Hirahara - Gasa-Gasa Girl

Hiroshima survivor Mas Arai is a man of few words: luckily, readers are privy to his thoughts. This follow-up to her highly praised debut, Summer of the Big Bachi (2003), finds Mas leaving his Southern California home-and-gardening business to visit his daughter, Mari, in New York. Despite being married and recently having a baby, Mari, the titular "Gasa-Gasa Girl," is still as restless as her Japanese childhood nickname implies. (For his part, Mas finds all New Yorkers entirely too "gasa-gasa.") Mari and her husband, Lloyd, are going through tough times, both with their baby's health and with Lloyd's job, designing a garden for a half-Japanese multimillionaire. First, the garden is targeted by vandals, and then Lloyd's boss, Kazuhiko "Kazzy" Ouchi, is found murdered in the pond. With Lloyd the obvious suspect, Mas must track down a mysterious gardenia to help clear his son-in-law's name. Although Hirahara generates a satisfying level of suspense, what makes this series unique is its flawed and honorable protagonist. Seeing New York City through Mas' eyes, hearing his amusingly accented English, and struggling with him as he tries to avoid an emotional confrontation with his daughter give readers a fascinating insight into a complex and admirable man.