A Tale for the Time Being presents two different perspectives side by side: one is that of a Japanese girl, Nao, and the other is that of a Japanese American writer, Ruth, and both are tied together feelings of seclusion and isolation. The two perspectives overlap when Ruth discovers Nao’s diary as it is washed ashore after the 2011 tsunami.
Though Ruth and Nao operate on two separate time frames, Ruth develops a deep sympathy for Nao and commits herself to discovering what happened to Nao after the tsunami. A tale for the time being, i.e. while you’re stuck indoors, this is also a tale for the time being: for anyone who finds themselves existing somewhere in time.
