Chorus of Mushrooms

Since its publication in 1994, Hiromi Goto’s Chorus of Mushrooms has been recognized as a true classic of Canadian literature. One of the initial entries in NeWest Press’ long-running Nunatak First Fiction Series, Hiromi Goto’s inaugural outing was recognized at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prizes as the Best First Book in the Caribbean and Canadian regions that year, as well as becoming co-winner of the Canada-Japan book award. Goto’s acclaimed feminist novel is an examination of the Japanese Canadian immigrant experience, focusing on the lives of three generations of women in modern day Alberta to better understand themes of privilege and cultural identity. This reprinting of the landmark text includes an extensive afterword by Larissa Lai and an interview with the author, talking about the impact the book has had on the Canadian literary landscape.

AUTHOR

Hiromi Goto

Hiromi Goto is the award-winning author of many books for youth and adults. Her adult novel, Chorus of Mushrooms (1994) was the recipient of the regional Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book as well as co-winner of the Canada-Japan Book Award. Her second adult novel, The Kappa Child, was awarded the James Tiptree Jr. Award. Hopeful Monsters was her first collection of short stories and in 2009, she co-wrote, with David Bateman, her first book of poetry, Wait Until Late Afternoon. More recently her YA novel, Half World, was winner of the 2010 Sunburst Award and the Carl Brandon Parallax Award and was longlisted for the IMPAC-Dublin Literary Award. Her latest YA publication is Darkest Light. Hiromi is also a mentor at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio, an editor, and monther of two grown children. She is at work on graphic novels and short stories.

In honour of its 20th anniversary, NeWest Press released a special edition of her seminal Chorus of Mushrooms in Spring 2014.

Reviews

Praise for Chorus of Mushrooms

“Hiromi Goto expertly layers the experiences of a Japanese immigrant woman, her emotionally estranged daughter and her beloved granddaughter into a complex fabric and compelling story.”
~ Ottawa Citizen

“Such a love for words is evident in Chorus of Mushrooms, which contains passages of breathtaking beauty.”
~ The Globe and Mail

“Hiromi Goto, a Japanese-Canadian writer, has written a masterpiece of our times … The readability of the text is attributable to the author’s craftsmanship, and one feels like reading it over and over again.”
~ The Herald (Harare, Zimbabwe)

“Not only is Goto’s language precise and evocative, she has crafted a complex and poetic text that weaves realities and mysteries into a subtle pattern.”
~ Edmonton Journal

“[a]n undeniably important novel.”
~ Jenny Heijun Wills, The Winnipeg Review

“Through these three women, we see how culture trickles away as one adapts to a different culture and/or lifestyle. And yet, Hiromi Goto asserts that culture never truly disappears. It is always there, lurking beneath our nails.”
~ The Scientific Detective blog

Awards

There are no awards found for this book.

Reader Reviews

Details

Dimensions:

272 Pages
8.5in * 5.5in * 1in
1lb

Published:

April 15, 2014

Country of Publication:

Publisher:

NeWest Press

ISBN:

9781927063484

Book Subjects:

FICTION / Cultural Heritage

Featured In:

All Books

Award Winners

Books on the Environment

ebooks for Everyone Lists

Reads for Asian Heritage Month

Language:

eng

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