Swallows

Swallows, Natsuo Kirino’s fifth novel to be translated into English, takes us into the world of surrogacy in modern-day Japan, and the psychological, physiological and societal challenges that the quest for parenthood brings with it. Riki is sick of struggling to make ends meet every month. Unable to get a permanent job since she arrived in Tokyo, she eats end-of-day discounted food from the supermarket and buys second-hand clothing as she accounts for each yen she spends. When she learns about the money she can make by becoming a surrogate mother, she jumps at the opportunity to have her living expenses covered, the time to reconsider her employment future and to simply live a more comfortable life.

A match is made with Motoi, a retired ballet dancer, and his wife Yuko, who have been unsuccessful in their attempts to conceive. While Yuko is coming to terms with their childlessness, Motoi is becoming more and more obsessed with having a child to pass his elite genes on to. They eventually decide to enter into an arrangement with Riki in which she will not only be a surrogate for them, but also their egg donor. Initially intended to be a straightforward business transaction, the impact of this decision starts to put a strain on all parties as the pregnancy progresses. What follows from there is an utterly compelling story about whether a price can (or should) be put on the human body, and how one can hold on to one’s dignity if a price is agreed.

I was absolutely captivated by this book. Until the very end, I wasn’t sure how this story would play out for each character, just as in reality we don’t know the impact of our own decisions on our future lives. Kirino has an incredible talent for translating that uncertain reality into her stories, and we are all the better for it.