"Seiichi's family begins to fall apart in the wake of his cousin's accident, but nothing compares to the mental and emotional torture he undergoes as he tries to maintain some sense of self in the face of his mother's manipulations. Torn by his love for her, Seiichi is pushed to the breaking point and finds himself unable to speak, both literally and figuratively."--Provided by publisher.

"Ordinary middle school student Seiichi Osabe receives love and care from his mother Seiko. Until one summer an incident changes the family dynamic forever. This is a story of a mother's love that has gone too far... Unable to process the horrifying events of the past few months, Seiichi's anger, fear and frustration boil over. But even as he is haunted by the memory of his mother's hands around his throat, he finds his voice again thanks to his classmate...

"The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange, where goods and services of varying stripe are available for purchase. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman's first brush with desire against the backdrop...

"Summer whizzes by like a typhoon, and Yatora has learned that large-scale pieces--in production and concept--only come together with elbow grease and teamwork. TUA opens its gates once more for the second term and Yatora's back at it... But he hasn't picked up a brush in months!"--