Awards
- Winner of Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Memoir) 2021
Overview
On March 11, 2011, one of the biggest earthquakes in history occurred off the northeast coast of Japan, triggering a deadly tsunami that destroyed much of the Tohoku coastline. Driven by a desire to help the people of Tohoku, long-time Tokyo resident Caroline Pover embarked on a mission to collect emergency supplies from her native UK. Caroline delivered these supplies to an isolated part of Japan that even many Japanese have never heard of: the Oshika Peninsula. While there, she saw beyond the horror of the debris and destruction, and fell in love with the beauty of the landscape and the spirit of the people who had called the peninsula home for hundreds of years since their samurai ancestors first settled there. Compelled to do whatever she could to help, she promised to return, once more, just for a month ... One Month in Tohoku is the true story of what became the many months Caroline spent visiting Oshika. During extended periods of time over the course of many years, she lived alongside the people of Oshika, and they embraced her as one of their own -- she still visits them to this day. This book tells us about a very traditional way of life in a remote community that cares deeply about all who are a part of it. It is the story of how, after a disaster took away everything they had, these seemingly forgotten fishing communities are still rebuilding their lives. It is also the story of how a network of people from all over the globe were inspired to donate millions of yen to support families, schools, and businesses, and to never forget the survivors of the world's costliest disaster. To commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the tsunami, Caroline has set out in words a deeply moving tale of the very human impact of a natural disaster. Readers will cry tears of laughter as well as tears of sadness, and be touched by Caroline's surprising humour and honesty and that of her Oshika friends as they unexpectedly become so beloved to one another. This is the story of a beautiful friendship between a very determined Englishwoman and the incredibly brave and resilient fishermen, women, and children of Tohoku.
Full Product Details
Author: Caroline Pover ,
Chris May ,
Sir David Warren, KCMG
Publisher: Alexandra Press
Imprint: Alexandra Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.60cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.700kg
ISBN: 9781838072704
ISBN 10: 1838072705
Pages: 410
Publication Date: 31 August 2020
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.
Reviews
Having lived in Tokyo for 8 years, including the year after the Tohoku Earthquake, I found this book jaw-dropping. It is an account of events there that has largely escaped main stream media--even in Japan. We all remember the devastating images of the raw destruction of the tsunami, which were plastered over global media. This memoir transports us into the lives of the people most directly affected by this destruction, long after the cameras have gone. -- Heath Rose This book is an insightful read into the long term results of disaster and displacement, not simply a story of a one person crusade, it is about compassion and uncertainty and perseverance in the face of staggering odds. It is about a group of survivors and those who felt compelled to offer a hand. Having spent a considerable time there myself, I found written between the lines is an interesting timeline of post disaster life and recovery. As mentioned within, once the mud and debris are all swabbed up and carted off, the real struggle against time, depopulation, abandonment, and the bitter battle between hope and despair begins. -- Robert Mangold ... an important record of the recovery in the peninsula, with the focus on the people who live there. Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to recovery work in areas affected by a disaster will gain so much from this book ... -- Ginny Tapley Takemori Reading the book took me straight back to the time after the earthquake and tsunami, when I visited Oshikahanto and other parts of Tohoku. Both of the beauty of the experiences that I had and the sadness and terror of being there, all came back to me through the vivid memories that Caroline recounted in the book. Thank you Caroline for documenting so much detail from your own personal experiences and hoping that those who read it, will be motivated and inspired to visit the area..............it is truly breathtaking to visit. -- Shelley Sacks This is a captivating account of one woman's experience of the Tohoku tsunami and her commitment then, and still today, to support the people of a little-known Japanese town called Oshika whose lives were so devastatingly affected. We learn that this was an incredibly close community, entrenched in traditional beliefs, values, and livelihoods, that was so brutally wiped out on that historic day. Caroline's writing is honest, heart-warming, and humorous, and her outstanding dedication and compassion is obviously evident to the reader. Beautifully written, One Month in Tohoku provides us, in our materialistic world, with food for thought about what actually really matters -- love, compassion, and friendship -- which go a long way in healing the aftermath of such destruction. -- Sarah Laine
The book is a delight, and I would highly recommend reading as we move towards the 10 year anniversary (2021) of the quake / tsunami. A deeply personal story with a universal theme: what can one person do in the face of unthinkable death and despair? One Month in Tohoku provides an unexpected but welcome answer: whatever we set our mind to ... [The book] a brilliant example of what is possible if we discard our jaded apathy and rediscover the joy of helping. A delight and a privilege to read. This is a wonderful book by someone with a gift for harnessing compassion and enthusiasm to get important things done. It's about hope, optimism and, most of all, about love. Great read, and very authentic. Caroline weaves an engaging story touching on so many different aspects of the earthquake, tsunami, and aftermath. Yes, there is heartbreak, but there is also hope and inspiration. Fans of Japan, entrepreneurs, volunteer and community leaders, or those just looking for a good story will soon fall in love with this book and its author, Caroline. This personal memoir hits every emotion ... I found myself cheering for her through the pages while also becoming motivated to do more in my own community in the process. Great as a read for yourself, perfect as a gift for someone else. It is an account of events there that has largely escaped main stream media-even in Japan. We all remember the devastating images of the raw destruction of the tsunami, which were plastered over global media. This memoir transports us into the lives of the people most directly affected by this destruction, long after the cameras have gone. A captivating, inspiring and emotional real life story of the outplaying of compassion for the country Caroline fell in love with ... A compelling read that leaves you amazed at how one woman can do so much to change people's lives for the better. It will make you weep, gasp, giggle and more as you (quite literally) hear Caroline tell her story. This book is much more than just one month in Tohoku ... Although so much of it is sad, there is also so much that is good and happy. I think anyone who has ever considered voluntary work would enjoy reading this, especially those frustrated by the red tape which often prevents the right donations getting to the people who really need them. As soon as I started reading this book, I was gripped. Caroline writes in a way that keeps you totally engrossed. I spent my days thinking about what I'd read the night before and waiting for the evening when I could pick it up again. I laughed out loud, and I cried out loud too. I felt like I was living the journey in real time with her all the way. I haven't read a book quite as moving in a long time ... This book isn't just a memoir, its an inspirational life changing must-read for everyone, and its hilarious too!
Author Information
Caroline Pover was born in Devon in 1971, grew up in Plymouth, and attended Exeter University before moving to Tokyo in 1996, in search of adventure. She lived in Japan full-time for almost fifteen years, running a number of businesses, giving speeches, and winning numerous awards for her entrepreneurial and philanthropic endeavours. Caroline unexpectedly ended up in the UK in the weeks after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. She spent the following years going back and forth between Japan and England, fundraising and also managing recovery projects for the remote fishing communities on Oshika - a peninsula that was very badly affected by the tsunami. To date, she has raised GBP170,000, which has funded over thirty different projects to help these communities rebuild. Caroline now lives in the Cotswolds, where she established Auntie Caroline's - a pickled onion and chutney business. She goes home to Japan every year. This is her fifth book, and first memoir - she considers it her love letter to Oshika. Sir David was British ambassador to Japan from 2008 to 2012, having served twice before in the British embassy in Tokyo during his career with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). He was also head of the FCO's China Hong Kong department from 1998 to 2000, and a member of the FCO's board of management (as director of human resources) from 2004 to 2007. He retired from the FCO in January 2013. He is now visiting professor at Sheffield University, and chair of the council of the University of Kent. He is also chairman of the Japan Society, the leading independent body in the United Kingdom dedicated to UK-Japanese cultural, educational and business contacts, a member of the advisory board of Migration Matters, the campaigning group highlighting the benefits of legal migration, and a director of Aberdeen Japan Investment Trust.
