The Book of Form and Emptiness Summary
Ruth Ozeki

The Book of Form and Emptiness Overview

 In Ruth Ozeki's The Book of Form and Emptiness, after Kenji, Annabelle's husband and Benny's father, dies in an accident, the mother and son struggle to confront their loss. Benny's grief manifests in the form of voices in his head. Annabelle becomes convinced that she can communicate with Kenji's ghost. Because neither Benny nor Annabelle can articulate their sorrow, they become increasingly alienated from one another. Over the course of the novel, the mother and son must learn how to claim ownership of their own stories to embrace healing and change. The novel explores themes including grief, memory, and reality.