“What makes [this] novel so brilliant is an understanding of why women might willingly adhere to . . . performative femininity, even while they criticize it.” ——Jo Hamya, The New York Times Book Review

From the international bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs, “one of the most insightful and important writers of our time….[an] extraordinary exploration of relationships, work and the intimate connections that (may) make it all worthwhile” (Ms. Magazine).

Fuyuko Irie is a freelance copy editor in her mid-thirties. Working and living alone in a city where it is not easy to form new relationships, she has little regular contact with anyone other than her editor, Hijiri, a woman of the same age but with a very different disposition. When Fuyuko stops one day on a Tokyo street and notices her reflection in a storefront window, what she sees is a drab, awkward, and spiritless woman who has lacked the strength to change her life and decides to do something about it. As the long overdue change occurs, however, painful episodes from Fuyuko’s past surface and her behavior slips further and further beyond the pale.

“In the skilled hands of Bett and Boyd, Kawakami’s prose is instantly recognizable—immediate, incisive, and unfailingly honest.” —Katie Kitamura, Entertainment Weekly

“Engrossing, fine-boned . . . Kawakami’s star continues to rise.” —Hamilton Cain, The Washington Post

“The startling vividness of Kawakami’s images draws the reader deeper into the emotional intensity of the scenes.” —Idra Novey, The Atlantic

“An invigorating and empowering portrait. . . . a winner.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An unforgettable and masterful work.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“[A] brilliantly rendered portal into young women’s lives.” —Booklist, starred review

“Atmospheric, subtly beautiful.” —TIME Magazine

David Boyd