IN NEARLY a dozen works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry over
the last three decades, Gretel Ehrlich, an American author, has
written about ranch life in Wyoming, the changing landscape of
Arctic Greenland, and a pilgrimage to four sacred mountains in
China. Her journeys are both physical and philosophical.
Shortly after the Japanese tsunami in March 2011, Ms Ehrlich
made three month-long trips to the north-east coast of Japan
where the disaster had altered hundreds of miles of shoreline,
obliterated entire towns, and killed around 20,000 people.
Survivors had to cope with a devastated landscape as well as the
threat of radiation poisoning from the damaged Fukushima Dai-
ichi nuclear power plant.  The resulting book, “Facing the Wave:
A Journey in the Wake of the Tsunami” is filled with sharply
observed reporting; evocative encounters with rice farmers,
fishermen, and others; and Ms Ehrlich’s personal reflections,
suffused with Buddhist philosophy. She spoke to The Economist
about her affection for Japan, i