Kimi s Obaachan, her grandmother, had always been a silent presence throughout her youth. Sipping tea by the fire, preparing sushi for the family, or indulgently listening to Ojichan s (grandfather s) stories for the thousandth time, Obaachan was a missing link to Kimi s Japanese heritage, something she had had a mixed relationship with all her life. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, all Kimi ever wanted to do was fit in, spurning traditional Japanese culture and her grandfather s attempts to teach her the language.

But there was one part of Obaachan s life that fascinated and...