An obsessive Tokyoite Pygmalion—thrilling and provocative literary fiction from a leading Japanese author.Akira, a meticulous editor at a major publishing house in Tokyo, harbors a secret: he lives with Koharu, a Hungarian-made love doll. Each night, he speaks to her and finds a long-sought solace in her presence—a comfort he cannot attain even in the arms of real women in his life. Things only improve when Koharu breaks free from her role as a love doll and starts speaking and moving on her own, transformed into the perfect wife.But when a new woman enters Akira's life, everything changes. A single confession to Koharu about his attraction sets off a chain of disturbing events that spiral into the unexpected.

Intrigue, betrayal, family secrets, forbidden passions – this tale of adventure and suspense links the Tiananmen Massacre of 1989 and the Kobe earthquake of 1995 through the story of Akihiko Waki. The story begins in 1990, as Akihiko learns that his father, presumed dead in China, was leading a double life and is in fact alive and in danger. His journey leads him to Shanghai, where he finds himself mysteriously drawn to the actress Li Xing, as his search for his father becomes also a desperate battle to save her from the brutal authorities...