Womens Prize For Fiction Winner

The Book of Form and Emptiness

by Ruth Ozeki

Summary

After his father's death a grieving boy begins to hear the voices of objects, and a talking book guides him through a library, a hoarding mother and his own mind. Ozeki blends Zen philosophy, environmental grief and metafiction into a generous story about loss and meaning. The novel speaks directly to the reader, asking how we make sense of a cluttered, sorrowful world.

Historical Context & Significance

Ozeki, a Zen Buddhist priest as well as a novelist, infused the book with her practice of mindful attention.