Don't Lose Heart (Pighog International Series)

Shibata's poetry describes memories from her past and her family as well as the impact age has on life. In her down-to-earth collection she discusses the rawness of life next to the beauty we must find within it. She has learned in 101 years how to appreciate the smallest aspects of life and speaks of visitors, how to retrain from the frustrations of age and learn to appreciate family, friends and the song of the little bird that is chirruping. Even the simple task of making a cup of tea becomes a beautiful ritual in Shibata's simple elegance with words, describing the sweetness of a melting sugar cube on the heart. In this collection Shibata's childhood memories and stories of her mother alongside her own children define age gracefully, teaching readers to embrace life. 'And every day now contains Another reason to live' The collection in its original Japanese has sold over 1.6 million copies since its publication in 2009.