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The Street of a Thousand Blossoms: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.61) - 4,100 listener ratings
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Gail Tsukiyama's The Street of a Thousand Blossoms is a powerfully moving masterpiece about tradition and change, loss and renewal, and love and family from a glorious storyteller at the height of her powers. It is Tokyo in 1939. On the Street of a Thousand Blossoms, two orphaned brothers dream of a future firmly rooted in tradition. The older boy, Hiroshi, shows early signs of promise at the national obsession of sumo wrestling, while Kenji is fascinated by the art of Noh theater masks. But as the ripples of war spread to their quiet neighborhood, the brothers must put their dreams on hold—and forge their own paths in a new Japan. Meanwhile, the two young daughters of a renowned sumo master find their lives increasingly intertwined with the fortunes of their father's star pupil, Hiroshi.
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"A fantastic book that offers a look into the lives of Japanese brothers living at the intersection of traditional Japanese culture and the contemporary event of WWII. The characters are tragic but comforting, and offer insight into the reassurance of ritual in trying times. "
— Ami (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Gail Tsukiyama expertly and beautifully weaves together the lives of a sumo wrestler and his family, and a Noh Mask Maker through World War II and into the 1960's. She has always been a wonderful story-teller but in The Street of a Thousand Blossoms she proves herself to be a master story-teller.
— Jane Hamilton, bestselling author of The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World -
Gail Tsukiyama is a writer of astonishing grace, delicacy, and feeling. Her lyric precision serves not only to leave the reader breathless, but to illuminate human suffering and redemption with clarity and power.
— Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Street of a Thousand Blossoms Listener Reviews
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" I really like this author. In this book she follows two brothers from their childhood in wartime Tokyo through their adult successes and tragedies. It is especially good with its view of the life of a Sumo wrestler. "
— Arlene, 2/5/2014 -
" I read this for my book club, and I had high hopes, because I'm very interested in Japan. However, I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters, which made for a very long read. Unless you have a definite interest in sumo wrestling, I wouldn't recommend. "
— Marnie, 2/4/2014 -
" Very good read with what I felt was an appropriate conclusion. I knew very little of Japanese culture and the time period of this book was Pre-World War Two through the early sixties. "
— Chet, 2/3/2014 -
" For me, this book was painfully slow and did not hold my interest. It got better in the last third of the book. "
— martha, 2/2/2014 -
" I loved this story, and I loved the characters. I found it heartwarming and poignant. "
— Geneva, 1/28/2014 -
" If you enjoyed memoirs of a geisha i would say read this book--- it was good, but not great "
— Amy, 1/27/2014 -
" Aside from an interesting study of two sons in Japan pre and post WWII there were lots of facts about sumo wrestling and the carving of Noh masks "
— Cynthia, 1/8/2014 -
" It was interesting to see what happened during the attach on Japan. I enjoyed learning the history on sumo wrestling. I thought the book went over board on the trials that the boys suffered. "
— Valerie, 1/3/2014 -
" A story about Japanese family life leading up to, during and following World War II and the bombings by the U.S. Also learned a good bit about sumo wrestling and Noh theater - both very interesting. I loved the characters. "
— Marybeth, 12/30/2013 -
" Another beautiful story by Gail Tsukiyama. I listened to this one on audiobook and the narrator was wonderful. "
— Bethany, 12/13/2013 -
" I don't know why, but I love books that take place in Japan or China. I think I secretly want to be Asian. "
— Erin, 11/30/2013 -
" Very interesting account of life in Japan both before and after World War II. Excellent story telling about life in the realms of the Noh Theater and Sumo. "
— Lauri, 11/14/2013 -
" I'm finding this book slow going. It gives great information and is well written, but the characters are flat ... and I just don't care about them. It's a book club book, so I'm plugging along however. "
— Barbara, 11/10/2013 -
" Just didn't like this one as well as The Samurai's Garden, although the ending was a little less of a let-down. It was involving enough, just so sad at parts it was hard to develop any affection for the story. "
— Michelle, 5/18/2013 -
" I love this author! Beautifully written with full characters and insight into the Japanese pride and culture. "
— Nmsbay, 2/2/2013 -
" Very interesting. Life bf and after the atomic bomb in japan. "
— Cathy, 10/5/2012 -
" Once again, with great beauty and grace, a story is unflinchingly told in a way that paints a moving picture in front of your eyes. Gail Tsukiyama remains one of my favorite writers as she crosses time and culture and takes you with her on the journey. "
— Jerjonji, 8/23/2012 -
" I can't take it anymore. Subject matter that should be fasciating and heart wrenching simply has me bored. Not sure what the problem is with this one, but I am going to quit while I am ahead. "
— Bxrlover, 3/27/2012 -
" Moving and tragic interwoven stories. Tokyo--1939-66. But--also informative and not always sad. "
— Andrea, 12/17/2011 -
" I have read all Gail's books and really like them all. This book lived up to my high expectations. "
— Marilyn, 12/9/2011 -
" Great description of Japan before and during WW11 "
— Annie, 10/10/2011 -
" This story moves very slowly but smoothly through the lives of several Japanese families before and after WW 2. Because of the many, many Japanese terms, it was more pleasant for me to listen to the audiobook. Gail Tsukiyama uses language to paint delicate pictures of life. "
— Deanna, 8/12/2011 -
" Good book that follows two families from pre-war Japan to the 1960s. I learned a lot about the culture & sumo wrestling - who knew there was so much more to the wrestling than just pushing big bodies around? "
— Suzie, 7/13/2011 -
" This book was a little different than I expected it to be. It is a beautifully told story that is rich with traditional Japanese culture. "
— Lahni, 6/8/2011 -
" Not as good as the Samurai's Garden but I still enjoyed it for the most part. I am starting to feel like most of her books are the same. A strong character or two, one that is unstable, a child concieved out of wedlock, a child that dies, etc. <br/><br/> "
— Corie, 5/19/2011 -
" Great story, very sad. Death is a major theme in this book. I randomly saw this book at the library and it looked like a good in-plane read for a business trip. I wouldn't necessarily suggest reading it on a plane if you are one who cries at sad parts in books, like me. "
— April, 2/28/2011 -
" Haven't read one of hers that isn't outstanding. "
— Meghan, 12/4/2010 -
" I can't take it anymore. Subject matter that should be fasciating and heart wrenching simply has me bored. Not sure what the problem is with this one, but I am going to quit while I am ahead. <br/> <br/> "
— Bxrlover, 10/24/2010 -
" Just didn't like this one as well as The Samurai's Garden, although the ending was a little less of a let-down. It was involving enough, just so sad at parts it was hard to develop any affection for the story. "
— Michelle, 10/21/2010 -
" I don't think I needed to know that much about sumo wrestling. The characters were very interesting, I wanted to know more about what happened to all of them. "
— Linda, 10/19/2010
About Gail Tsukiyama
Gail Tsukiyama is the bestselling author of eight novels, including Women of the Silk, The Samurai’s Garden, and The Color of Air. She was born in San Francisco, California, to a Chinese mother from Hong Kong and a Japanese father from Hawaii. She attended San Francisco State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in English. She has received the Academy of American Poets Award and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award.
About Stephen Park
Stephen Park is an actor and audiobook narrator. He has appeared in the films State of Play, A Serious Man, Fargo, Toys, Kindergarten Cop, and Do the Right Thing. He was a regular cast member for one season on In Living Color and has appeared on Smash, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, White Collar, The Venture Bros., and Friends.