By Serena Ewasiuk
A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson, tells the story of Rose Uneno as she visits Kyoto, Japan to hear the reading of her late father’s will. Rose had never met her father, Haru, a successful art dealer, or visited Japan before. She feels resentful and hurt that her father didn’t contact her or have a relationship with her. When she arrives in Kyoto she stays at her late father’s house and is taken care of by his housekeeper, driver, and assistant Paul. Haru left an itinerary of special places for Rose to visit while in Japan and has instructed Paul to accompany her. The two forge a special bond during Rose’s time in Japan and love blooms.
A Single Rose is a short novella that shines in the way it immerses the reader in experiencing Japanese culture. It is evident that Barbery has a true love for Japan and has experienced Kyoto firsthand. She captures the rich culture and gorgeous landscape with her observations and descriptive passages. First there is the food. Paul and Rose visit tea houses and restaurants, sharing meals and conversations, allowing the reader to share in these culinary experiences. There’s sake and beer, ginger and white radishes, matcha and udon.
Barberry also provides the reader with rich depictions of nature as the two explore Zen gardens and ancient temples. The poetic and descriptive style of writing paints a vivid picture of Japan’s landscape. Rose, a botanist, appreciates the simple beauty of peonies, lilacs, azaleas, bamboo, and maple trees, and Barbery writes lush and poetic passages to set the backdrop of the story.
A unique storytelling element within A Single Rose is the use of Japanese folktales, which are placed in between chapters to shed light on themes which will be explored in the forthcoming chapter. While I enjoyed the folktales, they were at times too philosophical or cerebral, with quotes that were difficult to interpret.
A Single Rose explores themes of love, forgiveness, growth, and second chances. While the pacing felt off at times and the storyline was predictable, the novella shines in its lyrical homage to Kyoto. A Single Rose is a poignant story of a reawakening or blossoming, if you will, of Rose, who “at the age of forty, had not really lived.”
Thank you to Publishing Group Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.