The Porch is excited to host a special book club event in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Tennessee (JAST), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering cultural connections between Tennessee and Japan.

For this session of Reading Between the Lines, we’ll explore The Great Passage by Shion Miura, translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter—a luminous novel about the power of words and the intricate art of compiling a Japanese dictionary. Through intergenerational friendships, unexpected romance, and a shared devotion to language, the story reminds us how words connect people across time and culture.

Led by The Porch’s Director of Education Yurina Yoshikawa, this discussion welcomes all participants—whether you’ve read the book or not. Yurina will provide an engaging summary of the novel’s themes and guide the group through a close reading of selected passages to spark conversation.

Join us in person at The Porch (2811 Dogwood Place, Nashville, TN 37204). A recording will also be available for later viewing.

[link: https://japanamericasocietyoftennesseeinc.wildapricot.org/book-club]