At the end of World War II, Tsuyoshi Manase returns to civilian life, runs a bookstore, marries, and has two sons. Despite his efforts to maintain an ordered existence and suppress a troubled conscience, his past as a solider insinuates itself in Manase’s life in this haunting tale of guilt, memory, and expiation. Winner of Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa Prize. Translated by James Westerhoven.