{"product_id":"hikikomori-and-the-rental-sister-book-jeff-backhaus-9781616201371","title":"Hikikomori and the Rental Sister","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn Indie Next Pick - An Amazon Best Book of the Month \u003cbr\u003e One of Book Riot's 5 to Watch - An iBooks Store Editor's Choice \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA mesmerizing debut at once sorrowful, intimate, and optimistic.*\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Megumi, a young Japanese woman living in New York and hiding from her past, is hired to help rescue Thomas, an enigmatic, scarred man who has isolated himself in his bedroom for three years. With the tacit acceptance of Thomas's wife, a passionate relationship develops between Megumi and Thomas. Its emotional impact and surprising conclusion will leave all three characters forever changed. Mirroring both East and West in its search for healing, ?\u003ci\u003eThe Rental Sister\u003c\/i\u003e pierces the emotional walls of grief and delves into the power of human connection to break through to the world waiting outside. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Strange and tender . . . [Backhaus's] writing, which is as clear and direct as flowing water, convincingly portrays the deepening connection between Thomas and Megumi. --\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Remarkable. --\u003ci\u003eThe Toronto Star\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Written deeply, cleanly, sparely and gently, like fingers playing over the strings of a harp. Jeff Backhaus has apparently worked at many jobs, but it seems that he has now found his vocation. --\u003ci\u003eSt. Louis Post-Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Poignant . . . With poetic observations about the world from the view of an outsider--the outsider in a marriage, the outsider in a relationship, and Thomas, who feels like an outsider in his own life. --USAToday.com \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Backhaus's novel is courageous and spare, an enthralling success. --*\u003ci\u003eBooklist, \u003c\/i\u003e starred review","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50386317607185,"sku":"CIN1616201371G","price":6.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53479016202513,"sku":"CIN1616201371VG","price":6.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/B00ERQOQ94.jpg?v=1751276984","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/hikikomori-and-the-rental-sister-book-jeff-backhaus-9781616201371","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}