Natsu Miyashita

* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. *

The Forest of Wool and Steel is a metaphor for a piano, which creates music through wool felt hammers striking steel strings.

Tomaru is an aimless student from the mountain country, until he hears a piano tuner at work in his high school gym. The experience transports him and he instantly knows what he wants to do with his life. After getting some training, he gets a job as an apprentice. The book then recounts his slow progress towards mastery of his chosen trade, including years of self-doubt and reservations about his abilities from his co-workers. In this path he finds a muse, Kazune, a student whose talent he recognises and who sparks a desire in him to be a tuner that she will want to work with.

This is quite an unusual concept for a novel. Miyashita's characters are warm and empathetic, and her story provides a gentle and observant account of the twisting path to attaining one's goals in life.… (altro)

"'The day I leapt down of my own accord was the day I decided to become a piano tuner.' He stood up. 'Ok, time to go to work.'"

"There are entrances to the forest all over. And there must be so many routes to walk through it."

"They say that if you put in ten thousand hours towards any goal, things will fall into place. If you're going to worry, best to wait until after you've done your ten thousand hours and then see."

I was looking for something very different than what The Forest of Wool and Steel gave me. I had hopes that it would be filled with motivation, life guidance, and reassurance that no one really knows what we are doing in life. Instead I got a fairly slow paced walk through piano tuning. There wasn't even that much focus on Japanese culture as a whole. I wasn't particularly sad to say goodbye to this book and its characters. Nothing much to see here, apart from a beautiful cover.… (altro)