Cherry Blossoms Kim Hooper

From the author of the critically-acclaimed debut People Who Knew Me comes the story of one man’s determination to abandon his will to live.

Jonathan Krause is a man with a plan. He is going to quit his advertising job and, when his money runs out, he is going to die. He just has one final mission: A trip to Japan. It’s a trip he was supposed to take with his girlfriend, Sara. It’s a trip inspired by his regrets. And it’s a trip to pay homage to the Japanese, the inventors of his chosen suicide technique.

In preparation for his final voyage, Jonathan enrolls in a Japanese language class where he meets Riko, who has her own plans to visit her homeland, for very different reasons. Their unexpected and unusual friendship takes them to Japan together, where they each struggle to make peace with their past and accept that happiness, loneliness, and grief come and go―just like the cherry blossoms.

Haunted by lost love, Jonathan must decide if he can embrace the transient nature of life, or if he must choose the certainty of death.

“Introspective chapters [that are] sometimes darkly comic, sometimes wrenching, consider the nature of long-term love, guilt, and the shaping of memory…In its clearest, most beautiful passages, the book accumulates details of [a] couple’s early joy… Cherry Blossoms interrogates what it means to face uncertainty.” – Karen Rigby, Foreword Reviews

“A simply stunning read! This novel grabs your attention and won’t let go. It’s fascinating, heartfelt, intense, unforgettable, and there is so much info regarding Japanese culture that really adds something to the reading experience. This was my first time reading a Kim Hooper book and I can’t wait to see what she writes next…”

– Charlene Martel, The Literary Word