A mesmerizing tale of secrets, tradition, and the courage to chart one's own course.
When Mei Nakamura returns to her small Japanese fishing island after five years in Tokyo, she discovers mysterious paper boats appearing throughout the harbor-perfectly folded without tape, just as her mother taught her. These vessels contain messages that gradually unveil a fifteen-year-old secret involving her mother who left the island suddenly, widower Yoshida-san, and his daughter Sakura.
As Mei investigates, she uncovers a hidden romance expressed through poetry written in the margins of weather reports, a connection the island elders suppressed to maintain harmony and tradition. Now, as Sakura faces an arranged marriage similar to what was planned for her fifteen years ago, someone is systematically removing tape from old letters and releasing these paper boats to reveal long-buried truths.
With help from her childhood friend Hiroshi, Mei discovers letters her mother left behind-messages about courage, choice, and finding one's own harmony rather than following prescribed paths. What emerges is not just a love story, but a narrative about mothers and daughters, the weight of tradition, and the quiet revolutions that ripple through generations.
In "Love Notes and Sticky Tape," Julien St. James crafts a lyrical, atmospheric novel where traditions and personal freedom collide in a community where everyone watches but few truly see. With prose that ebbs and flows like the tide itself, this captivating story reminds us that some boats aren't meant to stay safely anchored-they're meant to brave the currents and carry their messages across whatever waters they must.