"This book is very well written and researched and represents a comprehensive attempt to suggest the scope and texture of Hayashi Fumiko's work. The numerous translations (including the valuable essays in the appendix) are accurate and fluent, often quite moving. The argument is clear and serves the author's stated purpose of defining Hayashi Fumiko's principal techniques and themes and placing them in a context of her life and historico–cultural moment. The ending, particularly in the quoted passages, is especially evocative and provides a nice rounding to the text." — Stephen Snyder, University of Colorado, Boulder."Fessler's synopses of works, and translations of large passages and essays were particularly helpful. She draws from so many different works, representative of so many periods that the conclusions she draws are convincing." — Ruth Forsythe, Winona State University