What do you think?
Rate this book
Tree
Not yet published
Expected 14 May 26‘Trees are not just living things, but feeling beings, like us. Better keep a watchful eye over them…’
Cherry blossom, hinoki, ezo spruce. Persimmon, maple, cypress. The trees of Japan cast a spell on those who visit its unique landscape. But as a child, Aya Koda realized they were more than mere objects of beauty. Gifted a sapling by her father, she learned that we depend on trees as much as they do on us. They mark time passing, clear the air and regenerate our earth – while we must care for their future.
As Aya Koda travels around Japan, witnessing landslides, lumber and forests of falling ash, encountering fresh saplings and ancient, ungovernable roots, she discovers how each tree contains its own unique story. In this timeless modern classic, translated into English for the first time, Koda’s voice echoes down the generations, reminding us that trees hold a mirror to who we are, and what we choose to leave behind.
Cherry blossom, hinoki, ezo spruce. Persimmon, maple, cypress. The trees of Japan cast a spell on those who visit its unique landscape. But as a child, Aya Koda realized they were more than mere objects of beauty. Gifted a sapling by her father, she learned that we depend on trees as much as they do on us. They mark time passing, clear the air and regenerate our earth – while we must care for their future.
As Aya Koda travels around Japan, witnessing landslides, lumber and forests of falling ash, encountering fresh saplings and ancient, ungovernable roots, she discovers how each tree contains its own unique story. In this timeless modern classic, translated into English for the first time, Koda’s voice echoes down the generations, reminding us that trees hold a mirror to who we are, and what we choose to leave behind.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 14, 2026
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Aya Kōda
24 books81 followersAya Kōda (幸田 文 Kōda Aya?, September 1, 1904 - October 31, 1990) was a Japanese essayist and novelist. She was the second daughter of Meiji period novelist Kōda Rohan. Her daughter Tama Aoki and granddaughter Nao Aoki were also writers.
Kōda was born in Tokyo. At the age of five, she lost her mother, and later her younger sister and brother. She studied at the Tokyo Women's School (Joshigakuin). She married at age 24, but divorced after 10 years and returned with her daughter, Tama, to live with her father. During World War II, she helped secure her father's job as described in Tama Aoki's Koishikawa no Ie (小石川の家, The house in Koishikawa). Her first works, written when she was 43, were memoirs of life with her father; they include Chichi (父, My Father) and Konna koto (こんなこと, Such an affair). Seen as the writings of a dutiful daughter, they achieved critical success.
Her subsequent short stories, novels, and essays explored women's lives, family, and traditional culture. They include the 1955 novel Nagareru (Flowing), which was made into a popular movie, as well as essays such as Kakera (Fragments) and Mono Iwanu Issho no Tomo (A Friend for Life), and short stories including Hina (Dolls for a Special Day) and Kunsho (The Medal). She received the Yomiuri Prize for Kuroi suso.
(from Wikipedia)
Kōda was born in Tokyo. At the age of five, she lost her mother, and later her younger sister and brother. She studied at the Tokyo Women's School (Joshigakuin). She married at age 24, but divorced after 10 years and returned with her daughter, Tama, to live with her father. During World War II, she helped secure her father's job as described in Tama Aoki's Koishikawa no Ie (小石川の家, The house in Koishikawa). Her first works, written when she was 43, were memoirs of life with her father; they include Chichi (父, My Father) and Konna koto (こんなこと, Such an affair). Seen as the writings of a dutiful daughter, they achieved critical success.
Her subsequent short stories, novels, and essays explored women's lives, family, and traditional culture. They include the 1955 novel Nagareru (Flowing), which was made into a popular movie, as well as essays such as Kakera (Fragments) and Mono Iwanu Issho no Tomo (A Friend for Life), and short stories including Hina (Dolls for a Special Day) and Kunsho (The Medal). She received the Yomiuri Prize for Kuroi suso.
(from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.