Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan

What is it about?

Japanese student heads to desolate town to find out what happened to his sister after she was violently stabbed to death.

OK, but what is it really about?

Ren Ishida, a student from Tokyo, travels to the (fictional) town of Akakawa. It was here that his elder sister Keiko was murdered. The police officers investigating the case are clueless. Ren decides to stay on, taking over Keiko’s teaching position and moving into her old room. As time goes by, Ren immerses himself in the life of his late sister and pieces together what happened to her on that fateful rainy night.

Is it any good?

The first word that comes to my mind when I’m thinking about describing this novel is “quiet”. I admit, it’s a rather peculiar choice – how can a book be quiet? But that’s exactly what “Rainbirds” is. Unassuming and quiet, yet in its quietude lies its strength. Without realizing it, page after page, paragraph after paragraph, I was pulled into the strangely fascinating world of Akakawa, into the thoughts and memories of Ren and his detailed observations and dream sequences. Clarissa Goenawan paints a vivid picture of the small town and the people who live here (and don’t forget that every single one of them could possibly be the person that murdered Ren’s sister), weaving an entangled web of secrets and broken promises.

Favorite character?

Seven Stars. She has a real name, of course, but in my mind, she has been immortalized as Seven Stars (named after the cigarettes she smokes). I fell under her spell as quickly as Ren did, always wondering what she’d do or say next. Seven Stars is as fragile as she is strong, a young and wisecracking teenager desperate for attention one minute, pensive and insightful the next. When Ren wasn’t around her, I missed her, and when someone unexpectedly knocked on the door at his apartment, I always found myself wishing it was her.

Most memorable quote?

“Never again in my life would I meet such a precocious girl who could sweep me away like a violent tidal wave.”

Conclusion?

I hardly ever read crime novels, thrillers or murder mysteries. They kind of scare me and keep me up at night. But even though “Rainbirds” revolves around a murder, this story is mainly about family (and not scary at all - if anything, it is only slightly eerie at times) - family ties and secrets, and the question of how far we are willing to go for the love of our family. It is an intriguing read, often sad and melancholy, slow-paced and written in minimalist style. I absolutely, utterly adored it.

Rating?

Clarissa Goenawan delivered an impressive debut novel - in tone and style, it has been compared to Haruki Murakami, which might be just another reason I love it so much. Her new book, The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida, will be published in March this year, and I, for one, can’t wait to see (read!) what her creative mind has in store for us next.

AT A GLANCE

Title: Rainbirds

Author: Clarissa Goenawan

Published by: Soho Press (2018)

Pages: 336

Language: English