Book Review: ‘The Amberglow Candy Store’ by Hiyoko Kurisu

Book Title: The Amberglow Candy Store
Author: Hiyoko Kurisu
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0241733455
Date Published: Aug. 18, 2025
Price: INR 658

Book Review

In “The Amberglow Candy Store“, author Hiyoko Kurisu crafts a delicate, heartwarming tale that feels like stepping into a small shop glowing under soft lantern light on a quiet street. Each page evokes the comforting aroma of sugar and nostalgia, where the sweetness of handmade candy mirrors the tenderness of human connection. The story gently explores how a simple act of kindness—or the creation of something beautiful—can heal invisible wounds. Kurisu’s narrative style is both whimsical and grounded, making her fictional world shimmer with genuine emotion.

Matt Treyvaud’s translation captures that uniquely Japanese sense of tranquility, known as komorebi—the dappled sunlight filtering through trees—transforming it into a universal language of comfort. Through vivid sensory detail and unhurried pacing, Treyvaud makes the narrative feel intimate and familiar, a rare quality in translation. His rendering preserves the poetic rhythm of Kurisu’s prose, ensuring that even non-Japanese readers can feel the quiet magic and bittersweet melancholy woven into every exchange.

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At the end, “The Amberglow Candy Store” is a gentle meditation on understanding and sincerity. “If you approach others with your true feelings,” one line reminds us, “they’ll tell you what they truly feel too.” In a world often consumed by pace and pretense, Kurisu’s story invites readers to slow down, savor small joys, and rediscover authenticity in everyday moments. It’s a book made for rainy afternoons and warm drinks—a story that lingers, like the soft aftertaste of honey.

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