The Easy Life in Kamusari (Forest Book 1)

5 star read! Charming and original"Wow! "The Easy Life in Kamusari" is a beautifully written, heartwarming, and original story written by Shion Miura and translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter. I don't like Yuki's parents. I think it was unkind and heartless the way they went about sending him away. They could have gone about things so differently. And I did have trouble at first with seeing how Yuki was literally forced to stay in Kamusari village and was even physically hauled back. However, I'm glad I kept reading! The mountainous Japanese small-town setting was described wonderfully with beautiful and poetic language. The speed of the plot is just right— the story never felt rushed or too slow. The author's writing style is smooth and perfectly captures the lifestyle of the villagers in Kamusari (a fictional village inspired by Misugimura), a place where the people work hard yet always maintain a laid back and easy going way of living. The smooth writing and poetic language mirrors this. The characters feel three-dimensional and were so much fun to get to know! After reading the book, some of them now feel like old friends to me. I didn't feel very connected to the girl Nao, though. I had difficulty understanding some of her unkind words regarding her sister and some of Nao's feelings. The romantic feelings between she and Yuki felt a little forced and was without any real emotional bond between the characters. I LOVE Noko! So sweet! Noko is without a doubt my favorite character. This is a story that feels original and simple— yet contains so much depth and explores so many important themes. We see Noki's life change for the better in this story as he opens his heart and mind to Kamusari village, it's people, and their way of life. I've learned so much about trees and forestry through this book especially that of Japanese forestry. This is a beautifully written and charming story! I highly recommend this book to everyone! There is something to learn from and enjoy in this book for all readers. 5 stars"

The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura and translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter is the first book in the Forest Series. It is a story where modern and traditional life meets in the gorgeous splendor of Japanese mountain life. Yuki Hirano has graduated high school and his parents enroll him in a forestry training program in the remote mountain village of Kamusari. Against his will and with no phone, no interest, he is thrusted into the small, inviting community where the motto is “take it easy.” At first, Yuki fumbles with the tools, asks silly questions and feels every bit the outsider. However, the pull of the scent of the cedars and breathtaking beauty begins to have a lasting effect on him. As he learns the trade, he embraces the traditions of the village and learns a new respect for the forests with its secrets and harmony.The Easy Life of Kamuari is a warm coming of age story told in Miura’s lyrical style which sets a mood and will entrance readers as they take this journey into a Japanese mountain community. It is a beautiful and yet simple story of one young man’s life in a mountain village where he learns to work hard when he can and rest when it’s needed. One of my favorite quotes is “Running around won’t make the trees grow faster. Get plenty of rest, eat hearty, and tomorrow take what comes.” It is a beautiful way to say let tomorrow worry about tomorrow. While readers will see the story through Yuki’s eyes, the mountain itself is a character filled with vibrant life and mysterious secrets. It is an easy read as the story flows like a river, calm and relaxing. I highly recommend The Easy Life in Kamusari.The Easy Life in Kamusari is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

East to read, very interesting background on tree industry and beautiful descriptions of family and relationships and the “simple life”.

This was a sweet little book. A recent aimless high school graduate is shipped off to a remote mountain town by his mother to learn forestry. Told through the young man's journal, the town's people are initially quirky, the job impossible and all he can think of is escape. There's also an elusive and crushworthy girl so his existence he decides isn't entirely bleak. But that's all mere backstory to me because what really charmed me about this book was the trees and the tending to them. I have a short list of fiction books that have to do with trees and forests and the care or mistreatment of them and I was in the mood for one so this more than filled the bill. It was interesting and relaxing and just the read I needed.I may read the second book. Recommended if you're in need of a slow, easy and calming read.

Shion Miura doesn’t disappoint in the wholesome story that is “The Easy Life in Kamusari. This was a heartfelt story about a boy just out of high school finding his way in the world in an unexpected place.Right out of school Yuki Hirano finds himself the unwilling trainee to a foresting operation in a small mountain village. There, he is not only working to find his place within his work team but also the little village.This is written in first person POV, and while this isn’t usually my favorite POV it worked really well for this story. It was very intimate, like Yuki was writing a letter or a journal, and it made for a very pleasurable experience.Overall, I felt that this was a very comforting, very sweet story and I’d recommend this to anyone who is looking for a nice cozy read. I’m excited to read the sequel to this, and for anyone who hasn’t already, if you enjoyed this then you should go checkout Shion Miura’s other book that’s been translated to English, “The Great Passage.”(Now I’m just hoping and praying that “Kaze ga tsuyoku fuite iru” aka “Run With the Wind” gets translated in English in the near future.”

No, he really was. I love the forests, but my heart was in the sea. But my son loves to hike in the high forests. And I will give a copy of this book to him. I think my father would like that.

this book was so interesting. I enjoyed learning about the village and the forestry they work in. I will definitely read more in the future.

This was such fun to read. Creative, engaging, clever, heartwarming, simple but not simple at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

It's taken me ages to read this, but I did enjoy it, it's just quite a nice show places book and I only read it when I'm going somewhere on my phone kindle app. If you like oldy-worldy things or feel like you don't quite fit in our want to know more about Japanese culture, I recommend it.

It's about living just for the beauty of it, in harmony with nature and its cycles. And it's about choices and, maybe, getting free from all the stuff we don't really need. But people in kamusari, even if following nature 'some of leads, still are human:they destroy, but with kindness

Gerade fertig mit der Schule, keine Pläne, keine Ambitionen. Die Eltern haben den armen Kerl ohne sein Wissen für ein Jahr in einem Regierungsprogramm als Forstpraktikant oder so etwas ähnliches in den Bergen bei Hintertux in Japan angemeldet. Kein Handy, kein Internet, auch sonst nicht viel los, nette aber sehr eigenwillige Bewohner, alte Traditionen. Ein sehr schönes unterhaltsames und humoriges Buch. Es gibt auch gute Einblicke in japanische Forstwirtschaft, Lebensart und Denkweise.

After science fiction and fantasy books this was a welcome change. A pleasant down to earth book. The story is of a youngster trying to become a reluctant forestry expert in a remote Japanese village. The author brings out the senses of sight, smell and sound of the village, the mountains and festivals vividly along with the gentle awkwardness of teenage love,The translation is exceptional and you don’t feel left out of the “japanese” of the story