{"product_id":"a-robe-of-feathers-isbn-9781582434896","title":"A Robe of Feathers","description":"In Japan, the line that divides myth from reality is not merely blurred, it is nonexistent. Superstitions, legends, and folk myths are passed down through generations and pervade daily living.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a child playing near a river fails to return home, it is whispered that she was swept away by an \u003ci\u003eadzuki arai\u003c\/i\u003e, or Bean Washer. When a man boarding a ship hears the ringing of an unseen insect, it is announced that a \u003ci\u003efunadama\u003c\/i\u003e (Boat Spirit) is present and so the auspicious harbinger of smooth seas and abundant catch is celebrated. Even something as innocuous as waking up to find your pillow at the foot of your bed is thought to be the trick of a \u003ci\u003emakura gaeshi\u003c\/i\u003e, otherwise known as a Pillow Turner. Nothing is as simple as it seems. Your neighbor isn't merely an eccentric old woman—she might very well be a shape–shifting, grudge–harboring Water Sprite.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Japanese examine life and living with the keenest eyes and the most vivid of imaginations. Thersa Matsuura has captured that essence in this darkly insightful collection illuminating the place where reality falters and slips into the strange and fantastical.\"[\u003ci\u003eA Robe of Feathers\u003c\/i\u003e is] all fascinating material—very fresh to Western ears in both subject material and characterization—and comes to us wrapped in some of the most gorgeous prose I've read in a while. The stories are eerie, at times disturbing, occasionally sweet natured, but always compelling. \u003ci\u003eA Robe of Feathers\u003c\/i\u003e is truly a unique collection that suits no easy categorization except that of excellence.\" —Charles de Lint\u003cb\u003eThersa Matsuura\u003c\/b\u003e has lived half her life in a small fishing town in Japan. There she researches Japanese myth and folklore, carves creepy hanga, and makes devil masks. She is also a Clarion West 2015 graduate and recipient of HWA's Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship.","brand":"Counterpoint","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304319799525,"sku":"NP9781582434896","price":15.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781582434896.jpg?v=1767720760","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/a-robe-of-feathers-isbn-9781582434896","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}