In Ruth Ozeki’s intricate novel, A Tale for the Time Being, there are multiple strands running through the narrative, themes that span generations and continents.  Nestled among the meditations on Buddhism, time, and cats is a powerful story of a young Japanese woman who is struggling to find a place for herself in the bleak urban landscape of contemporary Japan. The story of Nao, told in journal form, is a story within a story, one that first engages the narrator Ruth as well as the reader. Nao