Penance by Kanae Minato, Philip Gabriel (Translator)

Description

The tense, chilling story of four women haunted by a childhood trauma.

When they were children, Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko were tricked into separating from their friend Emily by a mysterious stranger. Then the unthinkable occurs: Emili is found murdered hours later.

Sae, Maki, Akiko and Yuko weren't able to accurately describe the stranger's appearance to the police after the Emili's body was discovered. Asako, Emily's mother, curses the surviving girls, vowing that they will pay for her daughter's murder.

Like Confessions, Kanae Minato's award-winning, internationally bestselling debut novel, PENANCE is a dark and voice-driven tale of revenge and psychological trauma that will leave readers breathless.

 

 

Penance. A punishment. Something done to repent a sin. How does someone atone for something that was never their fault?  Five young girls went out to play but only four ever made it home. Those four girls did not witness the murder, but they did see the murderer, and the body, and have to live with the trauma. As if that were not enough, the killer was not caught, and the mother of the victim blamed them. In the course of that single event, the lives of these four girls was forever changed, and affected every aspect of their lives as they grew from happy children to the troubled young women that they were never meant to be. 4 out of 5 stars

 

I received a complimentary copy for review.