The Lantern Boats is a stunningly beautiful book, following the paths of two characters, Jun and Elly, as they make their way through their lives.
Jun's perspective is the more action packed if the two, a boy who has moves from one harsh reality to another, doing all that he can to survive. His story is one that makes him easy to sympathise with and is written wonderfully.
Kelly's perspective on the other hand focuses more on the day to day life of a citizen, whose path crosses with the mysterious Vida, and is filled with rich imagery that's easily transports a reader into 1950s Japan.
Each character is well developed and written incredibly well, full of hope, desire, and fear that draws the reader into their lives.
The story is well paced, with an intriguing plot for both characters, that intersect and diverge multiple times, before closing in a beautiful and bittersweet ending.
I really loved this book, it was peaceful yet had adventure and espionage, an incredible blend of two genres.
Content warning for book: contains scene of police violence, and past miscarriage.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book via netgalley.
An enjoyable, well written read. My lack of knowledge of Japanese history/ culture after the 2nd world war made it difficult for me to absorb and connect fully and deeply with the personalities in the book. At the same time this setting made the book more appealing. The background information at the end of the book regarding some of the characters in the book was interesting..
This is definitely a book I will read again and recommend to others.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Lantern Boats by Tessa Morris-Suzuki is a beautiful and entertaining mix of historical fiction and mystery/thriller. If you're just looking for a peaceful story set in Japan during the 20th century or if you're just looking for a heart-pounding investigation into the murder of a woman, you would be disappointed. However, if you're interested in what a mix of these genres would look like, this book is a must-read! The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Elly Ruskin, a half-Japanese, half-Scottish woman who has moved to Japan, and Kamiya Jun, an orphan who has been recruited into a shadowy organization and order to follow a mysterious poetess who speaks Esperanto. Elly's chapters are quaint and full of cultural aspects of Japan, such as lunches, poetry readings, and art galleries. Meanwhile, Jun's chapters are more action-packed as he gets entangled in the forces of quasi-governmental agencies and the police organizations of Japan. One highlight of this book is the rich, cultural background of the story. Characters sing "Katusha" in Russian, speak in Japanese and English, and talk about the military operations in China. It is clear that the author did her research. I felt like I was transported back in time and into another country. The ending was perfect and wrapped up all loose ends satisfactorily for me. If you're interested in a blend of historical fiction and mystery/thriller, you should check out this book!

CW: torture by police, but nothing too graphic; murder

An intriguing story set in post-WW2 Japan with unique characters crossing paths in Tokyo after being displaced by war. The setting and plot were original and interesting, and I enjoyed the descriptions of early 1950’s Tokyo. I wasn’t ready for the book to end.