Ruth Ozeki, whose latest novel, “A Tale for the Time Being,” is a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, will speak and sign copies of her book at the following California venues:
• Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. at A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland. Info: www.ggpbooks.com/
• Thursday, Jan. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Warwick’s, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Reserved seating available. Call (858) 454-0347 for details or to purchase. Info: www.warwicks.com
• Sunday, Jan. 26, at 2 p.m. at USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Las Robles Ave., Pasadena. RSVP to the Museum Store at (626) 449-2742, ext. 20. Info: www.pacificasiamuseum.org
In Tokyo, 16-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her unhappy life. But before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun. Across the Pacific, Ruth, a novelist, discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a lunchbox — possible debris from the 2011 tsunami. As the mystery unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama, and forward into her own future.
For more information on the author and the book tour, go to www.ruthozeki.com.