Banana Yoshimoto’s Dead-End Memories collects five short stories in which the protagonists are young women at transformative moments in their lives and, like those moments, the stories linger just long enough to have a profound impact on the reader. These are stories about growth, about healing and often about food. The main highlight of this book, however, is Yoshimoto’s ability to create worlds that feel magical, where the line between our reality and others is almost tangible. The five stories in this collection share a melancholy tone but, ultimately, this is a hopeful book with a warm, comforting feeling.