Every Drop is a Man's Nightmare, by Megan Kamalei Kakimoto - Lois
Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare is a stunning short story collection from Hawaiian and Japanese author Megan Kamalei Kakimoto.
Featuring eleven stories exploring Hawaiian Japanese culture, identity, folklore and mythology, these contemporary stories translate powerful messages about self love, gender, relationships, spirits, superstitions, life, and death. Each story is independent but with similar underlying themes, following native Hawaiian and Japanese women protagonists.
It’s hard to choose, but favourites for me start with Aiko the Writer: following the bizarre experience of an author whilst away at a writing conference - is she hallucinating or are these haunting events the consequences of writing about the Night Marchers, a forbidden topic? Another favourite is The Love and Decline of the Corpse Flower, a story exploring grief, as an elderly woman sees her dead wife in a giant Corpse Flower.
Kakimoto's stories are original, bold and intense. Perhaps some might find them a tad unsettling at times, but she has a clear talent for emotive storytelling. Creative and beautifully descriptive, I enjoyed her vivid use of language.
A superb debut, these stories have stayed with me. If, like me, you're a fan of a short stories collection and learning about culture and place then I highly recommend. I'll be looking out for more from Megan Kakimoto.
Lois
Find Lois on Instagram at @loisclarkart
