Infinite Books

“Sisters in Yellow” starts like a mystery: a young woman, Hana, stumbles upon an intriguing article online. Her one-time mentor and trusted best friend, Kimiko, now 60 years old, is accused of confining a girl in her apartment and battering her over more than one year.  The novel continues with this intriguing promise, as Hana recollects her past.

Everything started when Kimiko suddenly appeared in Hana’s tiny apartment in Tokyo. Hana was a teenager then, living in poverty with her young mother, who worked in a dive bar to make ends meet.  Kimiko, with her lush, jet-black hair and calming demeanor, becomes Hana’s friend and, most importantly, gives her life some purpose. Together, they reopen an old bar that they name “Lemon”. This is the central place, where Hana can finally feel safe, despite the bar’s shady clients and illegal affairs that are going on. Soon, Hana, Kimiko, and two other girls are moving in together.

Like the other Mieko Kawakami book I’ve read, “All the Lovers in the Night”, “Sisters in Yellow” is about the loneliness of a young woman. Hana is in no way perfect.  She knows what poverty is, and money is significant to her.  To make sure that the money she earns, now running an illegal operation with credit cards, keeps growing, she becomes very controlling towards her roommates. The story becomes gradually darker and more bizarre.

I followed the novel with great interest, wanting to know what would happen next and which way Hana would go. Her growing up and self-discovery was fascinating to watch. The background of Tokyo’s neighborhoods, its bars, and its underworld, along with many Japanese dishes, added to this poetic yet realistic book’s unquestionable allure.

SISTERS IN YELLOW by Mieko Kawakami, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, 2026