“Throughout this novel, numerous moments pleasantly evoke the surrealism of Murakami, the nightmarish descriptions of Abe, the alienated youth of Yoshimoto, and the ill-fated lovers of Kawabata. ”Elegantly a suspenseful mystery with an eloquent meditation on love and loss.” A satisfying heartfelt tale about letting go.” “With its dream sequences, chance encounters and leisurely attention to music and food, this debut novel evokes the simple joys of early Haruki Murakami. “Debut author Clarissa Goenawan spins a dark, encapsulating story that will certainly reel you in completely.” Readers will be carried along by its creepy charm.”

“A transnational literary tour-de-force. The author presents us with a fascinatingly structured look into Japanese society and a depiction of mourning and grief that is universally recognizable.”

“A murder mystery and a family drama in one, this book is as beautiful as it is understated. The Huffington Post, “60 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018”īookBub, “25 Debut Novels We Can’t Wait to Read in 2018” Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren realizes that Keiko Ishida kept many secrets, even from him. He accepts both, abandoning Tokyo and his crumbling relationship there in order to better understand his sister’s life and what took place the night of her death.Īs Ren comes to know the eccentric local figures, from the enigmatic politician who’s boarding him to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, captivating young female student, he delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister’s affairs, failing to understand why she chose to turn her back on the family and Tokyo for this desolate place years ago.īut then Ren is offered Keiko’s newly vacant teaching position at a prestigious local cram school and her bizarre former arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s ailing wife. Keiko was stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren Ishida has nearly completed his graduate degree at Keio University when he receives news of his sister’s violent death. Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man’s path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister’s murder.

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