Seasons of Stories Book Club April Meeting

APRIL 2026 BOOK SELECTION

Ms. Ice Sandwich

by: Mieko Kawakami

In her English language debut, “ceaselessly growing and evolving”novelist Mieko Kawakami renders an adolsecent voice with laser precision (Haruki Murakami).

“Ms Ice Sandwich” is a name I made up, of course. I thought of it the minute I first saw her. Ms Ice Sandwich’s eyelids are always painted with a thick layer of a kind of electric blue, exactly the same colour as those hard ice lollies that have been sitting in our freezer since last summer.

A young boy returns obsessively to a supermarket sandwich counter, entranced by the beauty of the woman who works there. Her aloof demeanour and electric blue eyelids make him feel the most intense joy he’s ever known. He calls her Ms Ice Sandwich, and he wants nothing more than to spend his days watching her coolly slip sandwiches into bags.

But the complexities of life keep getting in the way – his beloved grandmother’s illness is only getting worse, and his mother seems to be totally ignoring it. There’s also his faltering friendship with his classmate Tutti. As she invites him to join her in thrilling games and fantasy, the boy begins to enter a whole new world of imagination.

Wry, intimate and wonderfully skewed, Ms Ice Sandwich is a poignant depiction of the naivety and wisdom of youth, just as it is passing.

ORDER THE BOOK HERE

Seasons of Stories is a new book club at Shinzen Garden that invites readers to gather in the natural setting of the garden to explore literature inspired by Japanese culture and explore books from Japanese American authors.  We will be diving into a thoughtfully selected book each month and enjoy meaningful conversations surrounded by the beauty of the garden. All are welcome—bring your curiosity and love for stories!

Join our online club by scanning the QR Code