A Tale for the Time Being
by Ruth Ozeki
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki holds a well received rating of 3.98 out of 5, based on 51.6K reader ratings. First published in 2013. The book spans 422 pages.
About A Tale for the Time Being
In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying, but before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun who’s lived more than a century. A diary is Nao’s only solace—and will touch lives in a ways she can scarcely imagine.Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future. Full of Ozeki’s signature humour and deeply engaged with the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction, quantum physics, history, and myth, A Tale for the Time Being is a brilliantly inventive, beguiling story of our shared humanity and the search for home.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Ruth Ozeki |
| Published | 2013 |
| Pages | 422 |
| Genres | Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction |
| Average Rating | 3.98 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 51,580 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is A Tale for the Time Being?
A Tale for the Time Being is categorized as Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Historical Fiction.
Is A Tale for the Time Being worth reading?
Based on 51.6K reader ratings, A Tale for the Time Being has an average score of 3.98 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received." Its large number of reviews suggests broad reader appeal.
How many pages is A Tale for the Time Being?
A Tale for the Time Being has 422 pages.
Who wrote A Tale for the Time Being?
A Tale for the Time Being was written by Ruth Ozeki. It was first published in 2013.
What is the ISBN for A Tale for the Time Being?
The ISBN-13 for A Tale for the Time Being is 9780670026630.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
