The Heron Catchers

by David Joiner

2024 International Rubery Book Awards Winner | 2023 American Writing Awards Finalist | 2023 Foreword Indies Awards Finalist | 2024 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist

After Nozomi abandons Sedge and their marriage, taking all their money and leaving him with a ceramics shop he can’t manage alone, her brother and his wife offer him a lifeline at their Japanese hot spring inn until he can get back on his feet. As he proceeds forward from this devastation in his life, he becomes involved with the wife of the man Nozomi ran off with as well as her stepson, a troubled 16-year-old whose jealousy and potential for violence contrasts with his interest in birds, origami, and the haiku of Matsuo Basho. What unfolds in the shadow of “the immortal mountain of cranes” will change their lives forever.

Set in Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen near the Sea of Japan, The Heron Catchers explores the importance of recognizing suffering both in others and in oneself, of being compassionate, and of trusting those who offer love in the shattering wake of loss.

The Heron Catchers is the second in a series of novels set in and around the Japanese city of Kanazawa.

Genres: Japan, Fiction

280 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2023

About the author

David Joiner is the 2024 International Rubery Book Award Winner in Fiction for his novel The Heron Catchers, published by Stone Bridge Press in late 2023. The novel is the second in a planned series of novels set in Ishikawa prefecture, and was also a finalist in the 2023 American Writing Awards, the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and the 2023 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award. In January 2022, Stone Bridge Press also published his novel, Kanazawa, which was a finalist for the 2022 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award. His debut novel Lotusland, originally published in 2015 by Guernica Editions, was re-issued in a revised edition in early 2025 and was also named a finalist for the 2025 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award.

David first came to Asia in 1991 on a five-month study program in Sapporo, Japan. He followed that in 1994 with a one-year volunteer teaching job in Vietnam, when he became the first American since the end of the Vietnam War to live and work in Dong Nai province. He has spent over 12 years in Vietnam, having made his home in HCMC, Ha Noi, Mui Ne, and Bien Hoa.

In Japan, he has lived in Sapporo, Akita, Tokyo, Fukui, and Kanazawa, and in 2017 he and his wife bought and renovated a traditional Japanese house in an old craft village in Yamanaka Onsen, a 1300-year-old hot spring resort that the haiku poet Basho helped make famous.

For more about David and his writing, please visit david-joiner.com

Reviews

[David]

(July 13 update)

As I did with my novel Kanazawa, rather than rate my own work I thought I might provide readers with a few ways to learn more about The Heron Catchers – the second in a series of novels I plan to set in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. If you’re inclined to listen to and/or read more about my work, please visit the links below, which I’ll update as opportunities arise. I hope you enjoy them!

I’ll start by announcing that The Heron Catchers was named the 2024 International Rubery Book Award Winner for Fiction! The judges wrote a very kind and positive review of the novel, highlights of which include: "A lovely novel about relationships and duty told from the perspective of an American expat in Japan...The tone and atmosphere are expertly handled - it feels like an English translation of a Japanese novel (something like Murakami, or Banana Yoshimoto)...The author is clearly steeped in the culture, and the heron imagery is integrated into the story well, and nicely handled, particularly at the end. All in all, it works brilliantly." As you can imagine, I feel greatly honored to have received this award.

The full review can be read here: https://www.ruberybookaward.com/2024-...

Also, Kirkus Reviews recently gave a positive review to The Heron Catchers, and will feature it in their August 15th issue of Kirkus Reviews magazine. You can read the full review at the link below, but highlights include: “A meditative novel about love and abandonment set in the picturesque Japanese countryside…Joiner’s novel is full of pastoral beauty…with characters who feel full and human, and whose dramas, in their quiet way, will leave a lasting impression...A powerful journey through emotional devastation led by characters whom readers won’t soon forget.” –Kirkus Reviews

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/.../dav...

Also, in November 2023, The Heron Catchers was nominated as a 2023 American Writing Award Finalist. This was followed in March 2024 with a 2023 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Finalist nomination. And in May 2024 the novel earned a place among the finalists in the Next Generation Indie Books Awards. It goes without saying that I'm always grateful for my novels to be in contention for awards!

In February 2023 I did an interview with Peter Goodman, my publisher at Stone Bridge Press, who asked about my novels The Heron Catchers and Kanazawa and what it's like to be a writer in Japan. It's barely 20 minutes long, so have a listen if you've got the time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf9U9...

A few reviews have been published so far, too. The most recent was by Daiya Hashimoto, editor of Booklogia, who gives a useful Japanese perspective on the novel here:

https://en.booklogia.com/the-story-is...

The first review to come in was by the author DC Poulton, for Japonica on Medium.com:

https://medium.com/japonica-publicati...

The second was by Rebecca Copeland, novelist, nonfiction writer, translator, and university teacher, and appears on the Writers in Kyoto website:

https://www.writersinkyoto.com/2023/1...

This one appeared in The Japan Times and was written by Iain Maloney:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/...

Sarah Lohmann reviewed The Heron Catchers for Asia Media International here:

https://asiamedia.lmu.edu/2023/11/13/...

A review out of Australia from Tony's Reading List:

https://tonysreadinglist.wordpress.co...

Also, I'll include below the five blurbs that I'm fortunate to have:

“David Joiner’s The Heron Catchers introduces us to the quiet green abundance of the Japanese mountains, the slow beauty of pottery, and the pain of love ended. We follow wounded characters, Sedge and Mariko, as they learn to heal after each has suffered from devastating betrayals. Like the herons they ultimately rescue from injuries incurred by natural and human calamities, they too strike out at those who seek to help them. Not unlike the wandering poet Matsuo Basho who steps into the frame of the story here and there, Joiner offers flashes of insights as sharp and beautiful as a heron taking flight. Readers will find in this elegiac, imaginative work, space for reflection and discovery.”

—Rebecca Copeland, author of The Kimono Tattoo, co-editor of Yamamba: In Search of the Japanese Mountain Witch

"An intimate, rewarding novel of people linked by misfortune who search for redemption, wholeness, and purpose. Joiner evokes his protagonist’s inner world vividly among descriptions of the life, culture, festivities, and natural environment of a small hot-spring town near Kanazawa. The Heron Catchers is an engrossing sojourn in one of Japan’s most charming off-the-beaten-path destinations."

—Jeffrey Angles, translator of Hiromi Itō’s The Thorn Puller and author of My International Date Line (Winner of the Yomiuri Prize for Literature)

"The Heron Catchers is at once a novel about a particular place, but is also a novel for us all, as our fates and feelings are intertwined with the natural world. Joiner's deeply felt and sensitive rendering of the inner lives of men and women in midlife, who are more affected by the place they live than they are aware, shifts in subtle waves, like the ocean that borders the town of Kanazawa where much of the novel is set. Closely observed and with care paid to emotional nuances, Joiner has written a book about adult life, and the endless striving we feel for meaningful connection."

—Marie Mockett, author of Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye: A Journey and the forthcoming The Tree Doctor: A Novel

"This slow burn of a novel sears itself into your consciousness with equal parts tension and poignancy. The Heron Catchers skillfully captures one blended, broken family's experience of growth and healing amidst the beauty and precariousness of Kanazawa's natural world."

—Leza Lowitz, author of In Search of the Sun: One Woman's Quest to Find Family in Japan

“Joiner reels the reader in with characteristic fine plotting, carefully crafted writing, vivid imagery and descriptions of life in the Japanese countryside, and a tone of authenticity belonging to a writer who knows and loves Japan. A riveting and worthy follow-up to Kanazawa.”

—Amy Chavez, The Widow, the Priest and the Octopus Hunter: Discovering a Lost Way of Life on a Secluded Japanese Island.

That’s all for now. More updates later…

Thank you!

David

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Heron Catchers" by David Joiner is a beautifully written literary novel set in the picturesque areas of Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen in Japan. Sedge is emotionally and financially paralyzed after his wife Nozomi empties their bank accounts and disappears with Koichi, the town’s thug. With no other choice, Sedge closes the pottery shop he had been running and moves to the inn that his wife’s brother operates. After Mariko (Koichi’s wife) asks to meet him to “compare notes” about what had happened between their spouses, a friendship develops that quickly moves to more. Sedge and Mariko are ready to put their pasts behind them, but Mariko’s step-son Riku (whom Koichi and his birth mother have repeatedly abandoned) is so emotionally damaged by his upbringing he cannot respond to this relationship in any way but anger and violence.

As a person who has lived in Japan for more than 40 years (admittedly, my Japan is completely different from what we see in “The Heron Catchers.”), I strongly feel that Joiner has all the details of Japanese culture, particularly that of village life, exactly right.

The characters in this story are not particularly likeable and sometimes I found myself wanting to yell at them. So many warning bells were going off in my head; why couldn’t they hear them as well? But the novel succeeds in showing that life is messy, and people’s emotions lead them to do things that may not be in their best interests. This book is for people who are not only interested in stories of personal growth, but also those who would like to see how various aspects of Japanese culture are naturally woven into a contemporary tale.


Thank you, Net Galley for an ARC of this wonderful book. I really loved reading it, and my opinion is my own.

[Garry Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with David Joiner's previous novels, Kanazawa and Lotusland, his latest is a brilliant evocation of life in the Far East - Japan again, in this case - from the perspective of a Westerner. However, somewhat unusually for an expat writing about Japan, he doesn't focus on the struggles of the gaijin to adapt to an unfamiliar and often puzzling culture. On the contrary, Joiner's protagonists are sophisticated, sensitive immigrants who greatly appreciate the culture they are immersed in - at times, indeed, more than some of the locals. This is the story of an American who suffers an inexplicable catastrophe in his personal life - I'd better say no more in order to avoid spoilers - and becomes involved with a Japanese woman and her very troubled stepson, an older teenager whose attitudes toward him are complex and unpredictable, to say the least. Psychologically engaging and tense, there is also a convincing love story, and as always in Joiner's work, incredibly vivid portrayals of everyday life, that don't merely describe it, but illuminate it, much as Vermeer did in his portraits, so that they transcend that time and place. Perhaps more than any other author, including current Japanese writers, Joiner is the heir to the great novelists, such as Tanizaki, Mishima, and especially his beloved Kawabata. This is writing of great precision and conciseness, and yet it is also almost miraculously rich and evocative. I can't think of any other contemporary writer whose work is anything like this. He deserves to be far better known.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Joiner is one of those authors who writes a story with a solid coherent theme. In this novel it was a heron that started the tale of Sedge and Mariko, a heron is also involved as their love grew, a heron also caused tension with Sedge and Mariko’s son Riku and a heron punctuated the story with a hopeful ending.
Like David’s earlier book, Kanazawa, David gives subtlety, layers of characteristics and emotions to his characters which made them so engaging and as a reader elicits in you a reflective analysis of the characters’ motive and course of actions as the story progresses.

[Harvee Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that this story of love and loss is woven together in the mountain and lake area where herons congregate and live, and where the land still remembers the poet Basho, who visited the area during his wanderings, while composing his now famous haiku. The novel is set in Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen near the Sea of Japan

Sedge is an American whose wife ran off with another man. He meets the man's wife Mariko who is also bereft after her husband's disappearance. Sedge and Mariko are left behind, but create a new union and alliance of their own, while dealing with the troubled 16 year old son that Mariko's husband left behind.

The beauty of the surroundings and rescue of an injured heron seemed to bond Sedge and the son, who is both jealous and troubled.

I enjoyed the love story, as I see it, and the setting of the novel, and learned more about herons, their size, their strength, their beauty. And I thought the cover art of the book is exquisite.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literary fiction at its best ,I was completely immersed in the story from the first pages.A husband whose wife has left with another man his heart wrenching emotions are so vivid his aching loneliness.I also am fascinated by Japanese culture and the author bring us right into their world their lifestyle ps and customs.Quietly beautiful a truly special read.#netgalley #stonebridgepress.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a sad and shocking beginning. The husband and the wife of a foursome have run away together. More strange is the fact that the wife and husband left behind decide to share their pain with each other. At first, they meet in a park to discuss this grave matter. I have no Japanese language skills. Japanese names are probably has beautiful as the cherry blossoms or the gardens. What the two discuss, Nozomi and Sedge, is what else is going on in their lives. Surprisingly, Nozomi is not hysterical. She's very together. Perhaps, she is in shock. I want to know more about Mariko and Koichi's son. Is he spoiled, or does he have a medical condition? I think this is a great book. Maybe I have been hypnotized by the herons. The book also has awakened my curiosity about Japan. Is marriage as sacred to them as it is to America and other places? So much to know and so little time.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Joiner’s “The Heron Catcher” is an intriguing story about two people hurting from failed marriages coming together under very challenging circumstances. Sedge is an American whose wife ran off with Mariko’s husband. Now Sedge and Mariko find one another and attempt to build a life together while dealing with Mariko’s very troubled 16-year-old stepson. The couple and teenager’s interest in healing an injured heron becomes a metaphor for the suffering, compassion, and healing the characters also experience. The novel's setting in specific locations in Japan provided an interesting cultural backdrop to an emotionally rich and story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Joiner's The Heron Catchers finds an American man, Sedge, whose wife has run off with another man taking their life savings with them. Destitute, he accepts an offer from his brother in law to live in the ryokan that they. Complicating this is the fact that Mariko, the wife of the man that Sedge's wife ran off with, is employed at the ryokan. During his stay there, comradery, shared shame and grief brings the two together. The story looks at grief, abandonment and familial bonds from many points of view.

I very much enjoyed the writing in he beginning of the book. The descriptions of this region of Japan, the birds and the inner dialog of Sedge drew me in. Once Sedge reached the ryokan and began interacting with Mariko and her stepson, I could not find any passion or connection between the characters. Another disorienting part was that i had to go back to try to figure out where it was stated that Sedge was American, which changed the image of the beginning of the story in my mind. In the end, while the story was fine, it was somewhat unfulfilling

[Mel Schenck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Master of Detail

As in most of the other positive reviews of David Joiner’s new book, “The Heron Catchers”, I appreciated the complex plot and characters that make this book flow enjoyably. But I was particularly amazed at Mr. Joiner’s extensive knowledge of Japanese culture and physical artifacts that sustain the story as it unfolds. This also includes his love for birds and how he describes them, so that the herons become the organizing metaphor for the plot line.
Mr. Joiner is also a master of authentic and plausible dialogue, giving us a better appreciation of the characters’ motivations and emotions so that we the readers better understand the complex plot.

[Alan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and enjoyed David Joiner's 'Kanazawa' and so was looking forward to this next book set in the same area. This time we meet Sedge, an American whose Japanese wife has run off with another man. Almost broke after she scarpered with all of his money, he is invited to stay with his wife's brother and his family (as you do). As he adjusts to this new life he becomes involved with Mariko and her teenage stepson. Oh, Mariko happens to be the wife of the man that his wife ran off with. Phew.

Once I got past the (for me) unlikely premise of the partner-swapping, this is a well-written and sensitive exploration of family relationships and what it means to be a family. Sedge, for all his attempts to fit in, is always an outsider in some ways, and this tension keeps the book simmering along nicely.

It's an interesting and involving book. It just seems to me that it's best not to be an American living in Kanazawa! 4 worthy stars for an enjoyable novel.

[Jeffrey Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, David Joiner creates a masterful sense of place. You can feel Yamanaka Onsen around you as you read. I often found myself closing the book, sitting back and just melting into the ambience. I think the characters are intriguing as well -- in particular, I was interested in the troubled boy, Riku, who cannot control his fits of violence but seems to want to do the right thing.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should begin my review by disclosing that Joiner is a Goodreads friend of mine. I hope it is evident that my impressions are not unduly influenced by that.

As a retired clinical psychologist who spent 20+ years working with troubled teens and their parents I can readily confirm that Joiner clearly grasped the internal, family, and social dynamics of a ‘troubled 16 year old.’ With great insight he skillfully depicted what the causes of a teenager’s ’jealousy and potential for violence’ might be, how these become self perpetuating and increasingly problematic, and how a caring parent might struggle to acknowledge the full extent of the problems. The author’s portrayal of Sedge’s devastation over his wife’s having betrayed him and the evolution of the feelings which he and the wife develop for each other in the context of their fears of abandonment are equally well done. Joiner’s deceptively simple highly readable prose captured some poignant moments between the two of them.

The use of herons as vehicles through which the storyline developed and as symbols for various aspects of Sedge, the wife, and the troubled teenager’s characters were effective. So was the inclusion of the characters’ dreams and of a famous poet Basho who composed a certain form of poetry called haiku while traveling around Japan in the late 17th century.

I have also lived in Japan; have been married to a Japanese woman for many years; and have read dozens of books about the country’s history, culture, and social dynamics. Thus, I can say with confidence that Joiner did an excellent job of portraying many of the customs, social norms and mores, etc which characterize life there. The complex ways in which a long time foreign resident both assimilates into and yet is still alien to the society were depicted with impressive sensitivity. Readers will learn a great deal about how families respond to the prospects of divorce, the powerful effect which guilt can have on an individual, married men who are frequently unfaithful to their wives, and other issues.

On the one hand, the author used a great deal of Japanese language vocabulary to enhance the authenticity of this novel. On the other hand, much of it was neither translated nor explained in context. It would have been better, IMHO, had a glossary been included. Or if Joiner had made more effort to provide translations in the narrative itself.

I have a few other minor suggestions for things which might have improved what is already an outstanding book. While one map of the hot springs resort in which most of the story takes place is provided, it would have made THC more reader friendly had a map of the city of Kanazawa also been included. As the author lives in the latter this was effectively included as part of the novel. A map would have enhanced my involvement.

Joiner provided enough history of the wife and the troubled 16 year old for readers to grasp how and why they act the way they do. A touching dialogue between Sedge and his wife who abandoned him was also quite informative. I do wish, however, that more information had been provided about Sedge. For example, how and why did he come to live in Japan? How did he develop his impressive Japanese language fluency and such a deep understanding of the culture and the social dynamics of his adoptive home? Why did he feel that returning to his original homeland was not an option for him when his wife abandoned him? A few sentences here and there about these issue would have deepened his character development even more.

Overall, however, I highly recommend THC. I concur with the Kirkus review which opined that it is ‘…a powerful journey through emotional devastation led by some unforgettable characters.’

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
I eagerly await Joiner’s next chapter in this Kanazawa related trilogy. One cannot recommend a book much more highly than that.

[BEATRICE VEGAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant and evocative novel set in Kanazawa, a beautiful off the beaten track locale of Japan. Sedge an American married to a Japanese lass Nozomi is at a crossroads in his life. She has run away after emptying their bank account and leaving him penniless. Nozomi was a pottery artisan and he used to manage a ceramic shop with her. As Sedge is trying to work through his devastating loss while waiting to hear from his wife he meets Mariko whose spouse Nozomi has run away with. As Sedge is picking the pieces of his life he becomes entangled with Mariko. He also becomes acquainted with her stepson known for his jealously and violence.

An intimate novel focusing heavily o relationship Joiner elicits his protagonists to search deeply in their hearts while engaging in daily activities, customs and festivities of Japan. He weaves a dazzling tale around Sedge and Mariko’s misfortunes and invokes my own search for the meaning and purpose of life. Along the way I heard of the Haiku poet Matsuo Basho, the meaning of different birds especially herons, origami, various Japanese customs and also about Kanazawa itself.

He explores how a small town like Kanazawa treat Sedge and Mariko. Small communities are rife with gossip. Very little goes unnoticed and even the smallest episode can be blown out of all proportion. There are no secrets in such places.

True a mournful thread runs through this novel. Nevertheless, it is Joiners subtle penmanship that grips me to this tale. As I take in all the different nuances of this novel I am engrossed and the pages can’t turn quick enough. I learn about Gunbaru the Japanese art of resilience which I discover is so much more than that. Eventually despite their misfortunes they find redemption and wholeness coupled with a life of purpose through Japanese culture.

The various aspects and there are so many in this novel are difficult to explain yet Joiner in the true sense of a bard recounts them beautifully in his book. It’s not surprising that it was a 2023 American Writing Awards Finalist. This was a satisfying and uplifting read that provoked much inner thought. When I finished it, I let out a long contented sigh of wellbeing. Rarely has a book stirred such emotions in me. Joiner I take my hat off to you and am looking forward to more of your novels

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man and a woman meet in a park in Kanazawa. Their respective spouses have run off together, and Mariko has reached out to Sedge perhaps to make sense of things. Incidentally, Sedge is about to move to his brother-in-law’s inn, where Mariko works.

This is a study of families, relationships between men and women, and one American migrant’s place in Japan. I never feel that he fits in; Sedge is entitled, as one might expect, and he is insensitive. He doesn’t approach the unspoken customs of his adopted homeland with humility or understanding. He’s a stranger in a strange land, perhaps; but is boorish rather than acknowledging it.

Mariko, too, is a bit incomprehensible as the endlessly understanding stepmother of a very difficult child. Riku, her son, has behavioural problems that may even be psychiatric in nature; but Mariko will not seek help for him, only understanding and compassion from Sedge and their community, no matter how badly Riku behaves. And his behaviour is nightmarish.

I was like Sedge in some ways, reading this book: baffled by the appeals to compassion, and struggling to connect to the characters’ motivations. They behave in very frustrating ways. But the evocative thread through the book of herons, dangerous when cornered and yet so fragile, helped me find a way to understand a little: maybe Sedge, Mariko and Riko (and all the people surrounding them) can be seen through the same lens.

One other thing: the scenery and background are really beautifully evoked in this novel. It’s worth reading, too, for this immersive experience.

Many thanks to Stone Bridge Press and to NetGalley for early access to a DRC.

[Hikari · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you do when your wife runs off with another man, emptying the joint bank account in the process and leaving you rather destitute and unable to continue running your shop for income? Here’s the starting point for our protagonist, Sedge, who is taken in by his brother & sister in law who run an onsen (hot-spring B&B) where he also meets Mariko, the wife of the man who ran off with his wife.

The Japanese characters are well evoked and the passive-aggressive natures of their conflicts come across as all too accurate. Sedge’s in-laws particularly specialise in this, a contrast to Mariko’s in-laws who are the model of hospitality for Mariko’s step-son Riku. And surrounding the human conflicts are the herons, who fly around, get hurt, recover and take flight again. Which of these characters will find healing like the herons? You’ll have to read the novel to find out. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christopher Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heron Catchers is set in Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen, a nearby hot spring resort beautifully evoked by the writer. It is a life-affirming read, superbly crafted, exploring the wonder and meanings of the life of its characters, despite the adversity they encounter on the way. Indeed, the story begins with the protagonist, Sedge, struggling to come to terms with his wife having run away, taking all his money with her. We soon meet Mariko, the wife of the man Sedge’s wife ran away with, and later Riku, that man’s teenage son from a previous relationship who lives with Mariko. Compassion is one of the themes running through the book, and I was impressed with how the writer shows Sedge, Mariko and Riku to be growing emotionally as the story develops. And then there are the herons, appearing several times from first chapter to last, in memorable scenes described with great skill and clarity. I very much look forward to reading David Joiner's next novel. 

[ThatReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't like it, hard as I tried.
The characters were very unlikable, every one of them, boring as well, they didn't feel real to me, nor realistic. The story, which was what - alongside the cover - reeled me in with the blurb - could have been a very emotional and moving one, but the writing style made it dry, stale, uninteresting. I couldn't get into it.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

[Read Walk Repeat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This plot has an intriguing and twisty love miss-match that gives the main character lots of opportunity for growth. I enjoyed parts of this book, such as the descriptive setting, and the calm pace of the book, but found the dialogue felt a bit unnatural and I was invested in any of the characters. Overall an ok read for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Stone Bridge Press for the opportunity to read & review a digital ARC of this book.

[Hana Gabrielle (HG) Bidon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise and the beginning of this novel were extremely promising, but the middle part of the book fell flat to me. The character development was imbalanced, and I wish there was more to the story from the other family members who were affected by these people's affairs. Still, the ending was decent enough for me to finish.

[Haru · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author and loved it! The story is captivating, and as someone who knows Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen well I can say that the author captures them exactly.

[Aimeng Guo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall good story line. Personally a little disappointed with how the story ended.

[DC Palter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Kanazawa, David Joiner’s previous award-winning novel, The Heron Catchers is set in Ishikawa Prefecture, mostly in the town of Yamanaka Onsen where he once lived.

The novel begins in Kenrokuen, the famed garden in Kanazawa, one of the three great gardens of Japan, where Sedge, a Japanese-speaking American, is meeting Mariko, the wife of the man Sedge’s own wife has run away with. Though we feel Sedge’s lingering pain from the abandonment by his wife, we’re immediately intrigued by this unusual meeting.

While waiting for Mariko, Sedge witnesses a heron being attacked by a boar and breaking its wing. A bird watcher himself, Sedge comes to the bird’s aid just as Mariko arrives. She shows him her scars from rescuing herons herself.

Everyone in this novel, it turns out, is deeply scarred and not just by the sharp beaks of the local birds. Although it’s been months since his wife, Nozomi, has left, Sedge has barely started to recover from the loss.

Not only did she abandon him, she emptied their bank accounts, leaving Sedge with little to live on. Together, they’d run a shop selling local Kutani ware pottery, but without her, he is unable to manage and has to close the shop. Without any way to contact her, or any idea where she went, he can’t even initiate divorce proceedings and move on with his life.

Sedge soon leaves Kanazawa for the small hot springs town of Yamanaka Onsen where his brother-in-law runs a ryokan. Taking pity on him for his wife’s indiscretions, he invites Sedge to stay at the ryokan until he can get back on his feet, asking him in return to teach English to the staff.

Mariko works at the ryokan, too, but obligated to take care of Riku, her emotionally scarred 16-year-old stepson, she’s unable to stay after work for classes in the evenings. Instead, she asks Sedge to come to her home. Despite a warning from his brother-in-law and the gossip that is sure to cause, Sedge agrees to visit.

Over time, the pair develop a tenuous relationship, unsure what will happen if their spouses ever return. Mariko’s stepson feels threatened by the presence of Sedge in their home, with the possibility of a violent outburst always a threat. Though they don’t have much else in common beyond deep scars of betrayal, all three share a love of herons.

How Sedge, Mariko, and Riku navigate this complex relationship that’s in constant danger of collapse is the heart of this entrancing novel. The characters feel real, and though we grieve with them, the story is never maudlin.

More than a simple love triangle, what develops is a multi-sided geometry of love and pain enveloping Sedge and Mariko, their former spouses, Mariko’s stepson, and the brother-in-law and his wife who employ both Sedge and Mariko at their ryokan.

One of the few novels written in English set in rural Japan, we get to see life in Ishikawa, a world away from Tokyo and Kyoto. An American there, even one who speaks Japanese, stands out, eyes constantly following him. This is a world Joiner knows intimately, the descriptions of town life dripping with authenticity.

Here in the rice fields and hot springs towns on the Sea of Japan coast, herons and humans go about their separate lives that when they collide, leave deep scars on both sides. But with loving care, broken wings can heal as can broken hearts, and both can learn to fly once more.

[Marcia Crabtree · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Heron Catchers is the third novel set in the far East by American writer David Joiner and the second focusing on the city of Kanazawa, Japan. Majoring in Japanese Studies in college and thereafter living for many years in different parts of Vietnam and Japan, Mr. Joiner knows of what he writes. This is the first and only book of his that I have read. Thank you to David Joiner, Stone Bridge Press, and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of the book for my reading pleasure. My review is wholly VOLUNTARY.

I found the subject and premise of The Heron Catchers interesting and intriguing, but I found it difficult to read and to enjoy. Although it begins with the heartache of two couples drawn asunder by the infidelities of their respective spouses, the remaining spouses develop a deeply mutual, loving, caring and emotionally healthy relationship. The problem with their newfound relationship, however, lies in the emotionally disturbed teenage son left behind by his cheating father and in the care of the abandoned wife, the boy’s stepmother. The boy’s father had left him and his stepmother twice before, but when he was around, he physically abused his son. After their most recent abandonment, the boy demonstrated inappropriate sexual feelings toward his stepmother, and when the new man entered their life, the boy was aggressively jealous.

I found that too much of the book is focused on the boy and his relationship with his stepmother and her new man. Further, the boy’s repeated and escalating aggressions are predictable. I also found that the new man, an American caucasian, was much too passive and forgiving—not only of the boy but also of his cheating wife and her brother and sister in law, who also treated him poorly and unfairly.

The book is liberally peppered with Japanese words, making the reading difficult and slow. It required me to look up various terms frequently, hindering my enjoyment and comprehension. On the other hand, Mr. Joiner does a wonderful job of painting a beautiful picture of Kanazawa and its surroundings and of some of Japan’s history, culture and traditions. A less liberal spattering of Japanese would have been preferable for me.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author — though I have been hearing a lot of buzz about this book— in my social and book club groups. The author tastefully writes his protagonists who are immersed in Japanese life and culture — which is more truthful for those who become permanent residents of Japan. The details of Japanese culture, particularly that of village life and the people living there are very accurate. The characters and their stories are likable and maintain your engagement throughout the whole story. This book not only shows you the intricacies of Japanese culture and community but also explores the personal growth of the characters which are woven together well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Stone Bridge Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.

[Blue North · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a sad and shocking beginning. The husband and the wife of a foursome have run away together. More strange is the fact that the wife and husband left behind decide to share their pain with each other. At first, they meet in a park to discuss this grave matter. I have no Japanese language skills. Japanese names are probably has beautiful as the cherry blossoms or the gardens. What the two discuss, Nozomi and Sedge, is what else is going on in their lives. Surprisingly, Nozomi is not hysterical. She's very together. Perhaps, she is in shock. I want to know more about Mariko and Koichi's son. Is he spoiled, or does he have a medical condition? I think this is a great book. Maybe I have been hypnotized by the herons. The book also has awakened my curiosity about Japan. Is marriage as sacred to them as it is to America and other places? So much to know and so little time.