In the foothills ofPasadena,Mas Araiis just anotherJapanese-Americangardener, his lawnmower blades clean & sharp, his truck carefully tuned. But whileMaskeeps lawns neatly trimmed, his own life has gone to seed. His wife is dead. And his livelihood is falling into the hands of the men he once hired by the day.ForMas, a life of sin is catching up to him. And nowbachi—the spirit of retribution—is knocking on his door. It begins when a stranger comes around, asking questions about a nurseryman who once lived inHiroshima, a man known asJoji Haneda. By the end of the summer,Jojiwill be dead &Mas'sown life will be in danger. For whileMaswas building a life on the edge of theAmericandream, he has kept powerful secrets: about three friends long ago, about two lives entwined, & about what really happened when the bomb fell onHiroshimainAugust 1945.A spellbinding mystery played out from war-tornJapanto the rich tidewaters ofL.A.'smulticultural landscape, this stunning debut novel weaves a powerful tale of family, loyalty, & the price of both survival and forgiveness.From the Trade Paperback edition.