What’s Left of Me Is Yours

In Scott’s intense debut, a young woman explores the Japanese legal system and its relationship to the country’s divorce industry. Twenty-seven-year-old Sumiko Sarashima, a newly licensed attorney, seeks to discover the truth behind her mother’s murder in 1994 when Sumiko was seven. Rina Sato’s murderer, Kaitaro Nakamura, who once worked to seduce his clients’ spouses as evidential grounds for divorce, is now serving a 20-year sentence. What’s not clear to Sumiko is why Kaitaro murdered her mother. Scott rolls out the rest of the story adroitly, scrupulously reconstructing Sumiko’s parents’ past through case files and videotapes. Rina’s and Kaitaro’s passionate relationship unfolds in juxtaposed stories covering numerous locations—Tokyo, Sapporo, Shimoda, courtrooms and prison. The novel becomes exhilarating as Sumiko narrows her pursuit for the truth, interspersed with wistful chapters recounting Sumiko’s poignant memories of having two parents before she was adopted by her maternal grandfather. As Sumiko works to resolve the mystery of her mother’s murder, sifting through the facts brings her closer to understanding the blurred line that exists between love and hate. Byzantine subplots, distinctive characters, and atmospheric settings will leave readers spellbound. (Apr.)