First published 2012
The brutal killing of two sex workers by an undocumented Chinese man shatters the quiet life of one victim's older sister. She finally speaks, telling the story of Yuriko Hirata, whose striking beauty and irresistible allure shaped both their destinies. The sister traces their paths from childhood through the circumstances that led both women into prostitution. She reveals how Yuriko's physical magnetism became both gift and curse, drawing men who would ultimately destroy her. As the narrative unfolds, it exposes the complex motivations that drove two sisters to find meaning and fulfillment through selling their bodies. The older sister confronts the violence that claimed Yuriko's life while examining the choices that defined them both.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, mystery, crime
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark, gritty, unreliable-narrator
Setting: China
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
608 pages · Paperback · Booket
Content warnings: abuse, graphic-violence, murder, sexual-assault