The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida

Book / Novel


by Clarissa Goenawan

Format: Paperback, English
288 page(s)
ISBN/ISBN13: 1641291192/9781641291194
Published Mar 10, 2020 by Soho Press

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From the critically acclaimed author of Rainbirds comes a novel of tragedy and dark histories set in Japan.

University sophomore Miwako Sumida has hanged herself, leaving those closest to her reeling. In the months before her suicide, she was hiding away in a remote mountainside village, but what, or whom, was she running from?

To Ryusei, a fellow student at Waseda; Chie, Miwako’s best friend; and Fumi, Ryusei’s older sister, Miwako was more than the blunt, no-nonsense person she projected to the world. Heartbroken, Ryusei begs Chie to take him to the village where Miwako spent her final days. While he is away, Fumi receives an unexpected guest at their shared apartment in Tokyo, distracting her from her fear that Miwako’s death may ruin what is left of her brother’s life.

Expanding on the beautifully crafted world of Rainbirds, Clarissa Goenawan gradually pierces through a young woman’s careful façade, unmasking her most painful secrets.



The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida is both engaging and somber.
Susan Blumberg-Kason   in “The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida” by Clarissa Goenawan (Asian Review of Books, Jun 14, 2020)
Clarissa has her own distinctive voice, as she sensitively explores traumatic sexual experiences through a woman’s perspective.
Sebastian Partogi   in Clarissa Goenawan pens tale of teenage misfits’ gothic soul-searching (Jakarta Post, Mar 08, 2020)


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