"The Heron Catchers" by David Joiner is a beautifully written literary novel set in the picturesque areas of Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen in Japan. Sedge is emotionally and financially paralyzed after his wife Nozomi empties their bank accounts and disappears with Koichi, the town’s thug. With no other choice, Sedge closes the pottery shop he had been running and moves to the inn that his wife’s brother operates. After Mariko (Koichi’s wife) asks to meet him to “compare notes” about what had happened between their spouses, a friendship develops that quickly moves to more. Sedge and Mariko are ready to put their pasts behind them, but Mariko’s step-son Riku (whom Koichi and his birth mother have repeatedly abandoned) is so emotionally damaged by his upbringing he cannot respond to this relationship in any way but anger and violence.

As a person who has lived in Japan for more than 40 years (admittedly, my Japan is completely different from what we see in “The Heron Catchers.”), I strongly feel that Joiner has all the details of Japanese culture, particularly that of village life, exactly right.

The characters in this story are not particularly likeable and sometimes I found myself wanting to yell at them. So many warning bells were going off in my head; why couldn’t they hear them as well? But the novel succeeds in showing that life is messy, and people’s emotions lead them to do things that may not be in their best interests. This book would be of interest for people who are not only interested in stories of personal growth, but also those who would like to see how various aspects of Japanese culture are naturally woven into a contemporary tale.


Thank you, Net Galley for an ARC of this wonderful book. I really loved reading it, and my opinion is my own.

David Joiner’s “The Heron Catcher” is an intriguing story about two people hurting from failed marriages coming together under very challenging circumstances. Sedge is an American whose wife ran off with Mariko’s husband. Now Sedge and Mariko find one another and attempt to build a life together while dealing with Mariko’s very troubled 16-year-old stepson. The couple and teenager’s interest in healing an injured heron becomes a metaphor for the suffering, compassion, and healing the characters also experience. The novel's setting in specific locations in Japan provided an interesting cultural backdrop to an emotionally rich and story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

"The Heron Catchers" by David Joiner appears to be a deeply poignant and emotionally charged novel that delves into themes of love, loss, and redemption against the backdrop of cultural differences and the picturesque setting of Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen.

The story's focus on Sedge, an American grappling with the dissolution of his marriage to a Japanese woman, offers a compelling exploration of the complexities of relationships and the aftermath of heartbreak. Sedge's journey to find recovery and meaning after Nozomi's departure promises to be a relatable and empathetic narrative for readers who have experienced the challenges of love and loss.

The novel's setting in Japan, specifically in Kanazawa and Yamanaka Onsen, adds a layer of cultural richness to the story. The descriptions of these locations and their significance, including the reference to "the immortal mountain of cranes," suggest that the novel will immerse readers in a vivid and evocative world, where nature and symbolism play essential roles.

The relationships that Sedge forms with the wife of the man Nozomi ran off with and her stepson bring forth a sense of interconnectedness and transformation. The contrast between the stepson's troubled nature and his interests in birds, origami, and haiku poetry hints at the complexity of human emotions and the potential for growth and healing, even in the face of adversity.

At its core, "The Heron Catchers" seems to be a story about recognizing suffering, extending compassion, and finding love and trust in unexpected places. It appears to be a narrative that will resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt and emotionally charged tales of self-discovery and the resilience of the human spirit.

In summary, "The Heron Catchers" holds the promise of being a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that explores universal themes within a captivating cultural and natural landscape. Fans of literary fiction and stories of personal growth are likely to find this book a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Couldn't like it, hard as I tried.
The characters were very unlikable, every one of them, boring as well, they didn't feel real to me, nor realistic. The story, which was what - alongside the cover - reeled me in with the blurb - could have been a very emotional and moving one, but the writing style made it dry, stale, uninteresting. I couldn't get into it.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

If David has million fans, I'm one of them.
If David has one fan, I'm THAT one.
If David has no fans, that means I've been kidnapped by aliens and my memories are being used to study lives on mother Earth.


Okay, that was ew. I tried.
Heartiest gratitude to Netgalley, David and Stone Bridge Press for the ARC!❤️

Another masterpiece from one of my most favourite authors whose books are similar to visual ASMR for me, his soothing voice calming the raging thoughts in my mind; whose books I desperately want to gatekeep but brag about at every given chance. Highly recommended ❤️

Not my favorite read, but….
The imagery was beautiful. The story was kind of typical, which means you could see what was going to happen. The plot was not surprising with few twists. The character development was good except I didn’t realize the main character was
American until most of the way through the book. I just assumed he was Japanese along with all the other characters.
Overall, not a page-turner for me, but still not the worst I’ve ever read.,

I like that this story of love and loss is woven together in the mountain and lake area where herons congregate and live, and where the land still remembers the poet Basho, who visited the area during his wanderings, while composing his now famous haiku.

Sedge is an American whose wife ran off with another man. He meets the man's wife Mariko who is also bereft after her husband's disappearance. Sedge and Mariko are left behind, but create a new union and allilance of their own, while dealing with the troubled 16 year old son that Mariko's husband left behind.

The beauty of the surroundings and rescue of an injured heron seemed to bond Sedge and the son, who is both jealous and troubled.

I enjoyed the love story, as I see it, and the setting of the novel, and learned more about herons, their size, their strength, their beauty. And I thought the cover art of the book is exquisite.

“The Heron Catcher’s” is the first book I’ve read by David Joiner — and I sure hope it’s not my last.
His storytelling and styling is mulit-dimensional thought-provoking.

The writing is LOVELY……engaging, messy-complicated relationships, with a delicious Japanese cultural experience……with a gorgeous book cover it deserves.

David Joiner’s book was everything I wanted and hoped it would be. I love a thoughtful slim novel that keeps me thinking, feeling, and interested from start to finish, can be read easily in a few sittings, and broaden my understanding about just ‘how many’ people are affected when a spouse runs off — EYE OPENING!
I’ve been married to the same guy for 43 years — but I can only imagine how ‘crazy-challenging’ it would be for the in-laws, brother-in-law,
extended family and community too — they must dance around ‘their’ emotions, and opinions.
Ha…..
let alone the affects for the spouses left behind. The ‘left-behind’ (cheated on) are left to deal the pain and anger from their spouses infidelities, money taken, and ‘gone’….

With beautiful - powerful slim books - I try extra hard to not give spoilers….
The blurb is excellent…. Kudos to who wrote it. It’s why I chose to read it.
So —
let me just say — I LOVED IT……(the characters, the Japanese richness, the dilemmas, the serious loss and confusion for Sedge and Marino, the supporting characters, the birds, the Asian heron scenes, the symbolism, the imagery, and the overall compelling reflective melancholic intimacy.