The Rental Sister: A Novel

by Jeff Backhaus

hikikomori, n. h?kik?'mo?ri; literally pulling inward; refers to those who withdraw from society.Inspired by the real-life Japanese social phenomenon called hikikomori and the professional “rental sisters” hired to help, Hikikomori and the Rental Sister is about an erotic relationship between Thomas, an American hikikomori, and Megumi, a young Japanese immigrant hiding from her own past. The strange, insular world they create together in a New York City bedroom and with the tacit acknowledgment of Thomas’s wife reveals three human hearts in crisis, but leaves us with a profound faith in the human capacity to find beauty and meaning in life, even after great sorrow. Mirroring both East and West in its search for healing, Hikikomori and the Rental Sister pierces the emotional walls of grief and delves into the power of human connection to break through to the world waiting outside. Named an Indie Next pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, one of Book Riot’s 5 to Watch, and an iBooks Store Editor’s Choice in hardcover.

• ISBN10: 1616203269
• ISBN13: 9781616203269
• Publish Date: 29 April 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 6 July 2016
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Algonquin Books
• Format: Paperback (UK Trade)
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[Lianne]

I received a copy of this novel through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers programme in exchange for an honest review. This review in its entirety was originally posted at caffeinatedlife.net: http://www.caffeinatedlife.net/blog/2014/05/12/review-the-rental-sister/

The Rental Sister is an interesting novel looking at profound internal grief and the way it affects people, as well as the gradual connection that people can develop over the course of their struggle to move beyond their personal suffering. On one level, this novel is quite sad as the reader learns more about the pain that both Thomas and Megumi experienced in the past. Although the novel is rather slim, the development of Megumi and Thomas’ connection is gradual. Through their burgeoning relationship, they work through their individual hurt and loss, and begin to see a sliver of hope, of optimism, of life beyond the sadness, both in each other and in the world outside Thomas’ room.

Reading this novel reminded me of Benjamin Constable's Three Lives of Tomomi Ishikawa and Japanese novels with regards to the melancholy that just seeps off the page. It’s kind of hard to describe it but it definitely sets a mood to the novel and the perspectives that come out of Megumi and Thomas’ stories.

Overall, this novel was both an interesting read and also quite touching. It can be sad and heartbreaking at times but there is also optimism and hope at the end, as well as a beauty that springs from the connection that these characters develop. And the ending was bittersweet but satisfying. Readers of contemporary and literary books may want to check this novel out.