Lead Review (Swallows)
- Book: Swallows
- Location: Japan
- Author: Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda (Translator), Natsuo Kirino
Natsuo Kirino’s novel, Swallows, translated by Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda, is a provocative and emotionally layered exploration of surrogacy, class and independence in modern-day Japan. Known for her sharp social commentary and psychological depth, Kirino once again delivers a narrative that is both unsettling and compelling.
The New York Times describes Kirino as “Japan’s writer of the moment”, and she certainly doesn’t disappoint in this novel. At the heart of the story is Riki Ōishi, a 29-year-old woman from rural Hokkaido who moves to Tokyo in search of a better life. Struggling with precarious and low-paid temp work, Riki is drawn into a surrogacy arrangement with Motoi Kusaoke, a former ballet star, and his wife Yuko, who are desperate to have a child. Riki’s financial indisposition leads to her vulnerability, but the fact that she bears a striking resemblance to Yuko means there is even more of an ethical murkiness to their arrangement in a country where surrogacy is technically illegal.
Kirino masterfully uses this setup to interrogate the commodification of the female body. The ethicalness of this means that Riki must legally marry Motoi for the plan to proceed, and questions of paternity, emotional detachment and moral obligation swirl as the pregnancy unfolds. The characters—ranging from Yuko’s eccentric best friend to a sex-worker-turned-therapist—add texture and complexity, each offering a different lens on the central dilemma.
What makes this story particularly gripping is its refusal to offer easy answers. The narrative is interspersed with dry humour and moments of quiet tension, as Riki navigates her own identity and beliefs amid the chaos. The prose is sharp, and the writer’s portrayal of Tokyo’s economic disparities is both vivid and sobering. The novel’s title, a reference to the Japanese original Tsubame Wa Modotte Konai (“The Swallows Don’t Return”), hints at the irreversible consequences of the choices made by its characters.
There is emotional depth and ethical complexity to the story and its compelling nature captures the uncertainty of real-life decisions with remarkable clarity. This is a bold and thought-provoking novel that challenges readers to reconsider notions of motherhood, control and the price of dignity.
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