I liked this book and it’s take on life’s challenges and changes. 
It is a very simple story but it talks about the long, hard to detect changes in one’s character and in the way we are used to live. But it also delves into sudden changes which create chaos, grief, turmoil and anxiety. Hiraide highlights the importance of peace and quiet and contempt and the acceptance of the changes that one may start to observe in their everyday life. 
The symbolism of lighting is used to enhance this message, as a lightning is sudden by nature but is followed by quiet and/or thunder, just like life.