About this item
Highlights
- A bestseller in Japan--a beautiful story about shared self-discovery and friendship involving an unlikely group of students who decide to defy the odds and pursue a seemingly impossible goal together.
- Author(s): Shion Miura
- 448 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Friendship
Description
Book Synopsis
A bestseller in Japan--a beautiful story about shared self-discovery and friendship involving an unlikely group of students who decide to defy the odds and pursue a seemingly impossible goal together.
After shoplifting some bread one chilly March night, just before the start of a new academic year at Kansei University in western Tokyo, former high school track and field star Kakeru Kurahara runs through the city streets. Though he has grown disillusioned with the sport, he feels as if he could keep running forever . . . but to where, and for what? His revery is broken by a mysterious boy on a bike who has been following him, a fellow student at Kansei University named Haiji Kiyose, who also happens to be a runner.
Impressed by Kakeru's agility, Haiji Kiyose persuades Kakeru to move into Chikusei-so, a run-down dormitory where he lives with eight other boys, including identical twins Jota and Joji, honor student Shindo, detail-oriented Yuki, trivia junkie King, Tanzanian international student Musa, nicotine-loving Nico, and manga otaku Prince. None of the students know that Chikusei-so is the historic home of the Kansei University Track and Field team.
At Kakeru's welcoming party, Kiyose reveals his grand plan: assembling a 10-man team of runners to compete in the Hakone Ekiden, a legendary college marathon relay race. Except for Kakeru and Kiyose, the Chikusei-so gang aren't athletic--or interested in competing. But Kiyose's enthusiasm wins them over and they agree to this crazy plan. Over the course of ten months, this ragtag team will put aside their differences to pursue an elusive dream . . . and gain so much more than they ever expected.
Heartfelt and inspiring, Run with the Wind is a thrilling celebration of what it means to run--for yourself, for others, and with the wind.
Translated from the Japanese by Yui Kajita
Review Quotes
"For a novel focused on the importance of running swiftly, Shion Miura's Run with the Wind is a leisurely--and deeply compassionate--narrative about gaining self-trust while solidifying lasting bonds....Originally published in Japan in 2006 and since adapted for manga, anime, stage, and live-action film, Run with the Wind arrives Stateside deftly translated by literary scholar Yui Kajita, making her full-length translation debut. In any language, Miura is an easy writer to love--encouraging tenacity and championing kindness while imparting a most inspiring story. Team Miura for the win indeed!"
-- Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"A sincere, plainspoken attempt to answer the question: What does it mean to run?" -- Kirkus Reviews
"Miura (Kamusari Tales Told at Night) beautifully captures the camaraderie, conflicts, and sacrifices that come with striving for a common goal. . . . The emotional journey of each character resonates deeply, making readers root for them as much as for the race itself. [Run with the Wind] is not just a story about a marathon; it's a testament to the power of friendship, resilience, and the beauty of pushing beyond one's limits." -- Library Journal