The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida
By (Author) Clarissa Goenawan
Scribe Publications
Scribe Publications
29th September 2020
Australia
General
Fiction
Horror and supernatural fiction
Crime and mystery fiction
Narrative theme: Death, grief, loss
Fiction in translation
Paperback
288
Width 135mm, Height 208mm, Spine 24mm
296g
A bewitching novel set in contemporary Japan about the mysterious suicide of a young woman. A bewitching novel set in contemporary Japan about the mysterious suicide of a young woman. Miwako Sumida is dead. Now those closest to her try to piece together the fragments of her life. Ryusei, who has always loved her, follows Miwako's trail to a remote Japanese village. Chie, Miwako's best friend, was the only person to know her true identity - but is now the time to reveal it Meanwhile, Fumi, Ryusei's sister, is harbouring her own haunting secret. Together, they realise that the young woman they thought they knew had more going on behind her seemingly perfect fa ade than they could ever have dreamed. 'Vivid and intriguing - an elegantly cryptic, poetically plotted Murakami-esque whydunit.' -Sharlene Teo, award-winning author of Ponti ' A a complex, interpersonal mystery ... A tremendous examination of sadness ... A book with heart about the mysteries of the heart.' -Benjamin Welton, New York Journal of Books 'If her debut novel brings Murakami to mind, her second, with its winsome tone, harkens to early Banana Yoshimoto. However, with her blend of mystery, magic and social issues - in this case, sexual abuse, transgender awareness and suicide - Goenawan is developing her own distinct brand.' -Suzanne Kamata, The Japan Times
Clarissa Goenawan is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer and translator. Her award-winning short stories have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies in Singapore, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, the UK, and the US. Rainbirds, her debut novel, has been published in eleven different languages. Her second novel, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, came out in 2020. Watersong is her third novel.