KAKIGORI SUMMER

Ami Okumura Jones narrates this quiet character-driven family drama about three mixed-race British Japanese sisters. Rei, the oldest, works in corporate finance in London, while middle sister Kiki is a single mother working in a retirement home in Tokyo. Youngest sister Ai is a rising J-pop idol caught in a national scandal. Ai's troubles bring the sisters back to their seaside childhood home in Ikimura, where they confront old struggles, especially grief over their mother's death. Jones's narration evokes a strong sense of place, transporting listeners to the Japanese coast in summer. However, the novel's shifting points of view can be hard to follow as the sisters' voices lack vocal distinction. This bittersweet family story may be better experienced in print. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]