In this dazzling and critically acclaimed debut collection, Mary Yukari Waters provides a rare glimpse into
the heart and humanity of a society in the midst of immense change. These graceful, expertly crafted stories, set
in Japan, explore the gray areas between the long shadow of World War II and the rapid advance of Westernization.
The women and children who inhabit this terrain have lost husbands and fathers to the war, and ancient traditions
to American pop culture. Parents are mystified by the future of forks and knives, hairspray and hip-hop; children
embrace it.
With these stories of upheaval and renewal, estrangement and reconciliation, Waters provides keen insight into
the experience and sensibility of different generations as they confront an altered world. A virtuoso collection
infused with warmth, The Laws of Evening announces a stunning new voice in fiction.