San Francisco, California-based Last Gasp Publishing recently released their latest catalog and one pleasant surprise was the announcement that they'll be releasing a new hardcover edition of Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms in September 2009.
Originally released in Japan as Yūnagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni in 2004, Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms is the touching story of two generations of young women whose lives are affected by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. This gentle yet moving graphic novel has won numerous awards in Japan, including Grand Prize for Manga at the 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival and the 2005 Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize Creative Award.
Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms also earned critical acclaim in its 2007 U.S. release. Publishers Weekly named it as one of ten best manga of 2007, and it received two Eisner Awards nominations in 2007. The American Library Association also included it in its 2008 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list, so for librarians, a hardcover edition is a welcome sight indeed because it means this book will be able to better endure daily wear and tear from many readers.
Check out my profile and review of Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, and my interview with Patrick Macias and Izumi Evers, the two editors who helped bring this title to America.
Image credit: © Fumiyo Kouno 2003. All Rights Reserved
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