Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing both her heritage and her growing love for her best friend Fran.
Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Lonely and far from home, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.
Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo's nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in seedy bars. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .
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A grove of bamboo trees, thick in their numbers and dark clusters of thin, hardly canes, growing in clumps, creating circular spaces between them, hollowed out by God.- As Seen from Above
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(@bukufootnote, 22 February 2024, e-galley, 352 pages, #ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley)
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This is a debut. I love Mongrel and look forward to seeing what the author has to offer next. The book focuses on three very different women, two in London and one in Tokyo. The women all experience turmoil, angst and a feeling of not fitting in. Haruka lives in Tokyo and is a hostess who sleeps with men for money. I found her story the most compelling. The three stories are compelling and gut-wrenching at times. The book is well-written and every page is engaging. The women are so well-written they really come to life. I'd recommend this.
