A Tale for the Time Being David Robson and widely considered to be

and widely considered to be the first English novel with a truly working-class background

and shifting loyalties—reshaping the kingdom and his own fate in the process

from the quietly cynical to the compassionate

the unspoken rules of a new culture

Her storytelling blends gritty realism with surreal beauty

A Tale for the Time Being David Robson and widely considered to beAfter the 2011 tsunami, a Hello Kitty lunchbox washes up on the shore of a remote Canadian island. Inside, novelist Ruth discovers a diary written by Nao, a sixteen year old girl in Tokyo grappling with deep loneliness, bullying, and thoughts of ending her life. Before making any final decisions, Nao sets out to tell the story of her great grandmother, a 104 year old Zen Buddhist nun whose quiet strength becomes a lifeline. As Ruth reads, she becomes