Songs for Ghosts

(Paperback)

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Description

From Catfish Rolling's Clara Kumagai, a second novel full of longing, love and heartbreak, inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly.
17-year-old Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend Evan and is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of term or a whole summer stuck at home with his dad, step mum and baby brother, Benji. But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. They were written by a young woman in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam is enraptured by her life and loves, becoming totally absorbed in her story. Then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence.

Reviews

With lyrical prose and dollops of magical realism, Clara Kumagais exquisite Catfish Rolling is a haunting account of a time-fragmented Japan. * The Irish Times, Best Books of 2023 *

One of the years most memorable debuts... an original and ambitious coming of age novel told
against the rich back drop of Japanese folklore and culture.

* Observer, Best Books of 2023, on Catfish Rolling *
Mining philosophy, science fiction and Japanese mythology to craft a mature, compelling story of loss and tragedy, Kumagai spins the tale of a Japan fractured in time by an earthquake caused by an infamous monster. * Waterstones, Best Books of 2023, on Catfish Rolling *
Sublime...rewarding, thought-provoking read. * Irish Independent, Top Choice, on Catfish Rolling *

Author Bio

Clara Kumagai is from Canada, Japan and Ireland. Recipient of a We Need Diverse Books Award Mentorship, Clara is also a finalist for the Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award, a Yoto Carnegie 2024 nominee and shortlisted for the KPMG Childrens Book Ireland Award. Clara has been chosen by The Irish Independent as a Top 20 Irish Kids Book of 2023, as well as a Best Book of 2023 by The Irish Times, the Observer and Waterstones.

clarakumagai.com Twitter/Instagram:@clarakiyoko