What’s Left of Me Is Yours is a beautifully written, complex book told in two timelines that masterfully presents the story of Sumiko Sarashima, her mother Rina and the man who becomes her greatest love and the cause of her demise, Kaitaro Nakamura and Yoshi, Rina’s devoted father and the man who ultimately raises Sumiko.
In modern-day Japan, Sumiko learns that the story of her mother’s death when she was seven years old was a lie. Her mother Rina was murdered. Sumiko, now a lawyer, seeks answers as this revelation changes everything for her.“I want to witness the events that led to her death.”
Going back twenty years, we learn that Kaitaro was secretly hired by Rina’s husband as a"wakaresaseya" to seduce her and insure a favorable divorce settlement. But fate takes a turn and Kaitaro falls in love with Rina then fears to reveal the truth. We see the growing passion between Rina and Kaitaro and how they bring out the best in one another. Their love story is simply heartbreaking as we know from the start that it is doomed and ends tragically.
This moving book is impossible to categorize – thriller, mystery, crime, legal, family drama, romance. There are wonderful details describing Tokyo and rural parts of Japan, its culture and the Japanese criminal justice system. Author Stephanie Scott, in an impressive debut, has created a haunting and lyrical tale. One that you will want to savor as you read.
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Literary Fiction.
Publication Date: June 23, 2020.
Does this book sound like something you'd like to read? If you'd like to make a comment, please scroll down to the end of the page. If you decide to read What’s Left of Me Is Yours, please revisit and post what you thought of it.
