Hikikomori and the Rental Sister

Written by Jeff Backhaus

Narrated by Stephen Bowlby

Thomas Tessler, devastated by a tragedy, has cloistered himself in his bedroom and shut out the world for the past three years. His wife, Silke, lives in the next room, but Thomas no longer shares his life with her, leaving his hideout only in the wee hours of the night to buy food at the store around the corner from their Manhattan apartment. Isolated, withdrawn, damaged, Thomas is hikikomori. #160;#160;Desperate to salvage their life together, Silke hires Megumi, a young Japanese woman attuned to the hikikomori phenomenon, to lure Thomas back into the world. In Japan Megumi is called a #8220;rental sister,#8221; though her job may involve much more than familial comforts. As Thomas grows to trust Megumi, a deepening and sensual relationship unfolds. But what are the risks of such intimacy? And what must these three broken people surrender in order to find hope? #160;#160;Revelatory and provocative, Hikikomori and the Rental Sister tears through the emotional walls of grief and delves into the power of human connection to break through to the waiting world outside.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Jan 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781611749199

Jeff Backhaus

JEFF BACKHAUS has been a cook, an art director and a professional pilot. He has lived and worked in Korea and now lives in New York. This is his first novel. Visit him online at www.jeffbackhaus.com or follow him on Twitter @Jeff_Backhaus.

Reviews for Hikikomori and the Rental Sister

[kamgeb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a hard book to get into, but once I got into the book it was very interesting. The story seems far fetched and at times the author hits you over the head with his theories. And yet it was so bizarre and encaptivating I really wanted to know what happened next.

[berylweidenbach · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting premise for a book, based on a Japanese term "Hikikomori".Thomas, so traumatized by the death of his child before his eyes, and blaming himself for the death has withdrawn into his room, sealing himself off from human contact, especially his wife. After three frustrating years, in desperation the wife hires a young Japanese girl, called a "rental sister" to try and coax him out. I felt the writing was compelling, but it didn't hold my interest enough be drawn back again and again. I finished this book because I agreed to give a review. I liked the character of Thomas well enough, and accepted his extreme reaction to his son's death without question, but the character of Megumi did not ring true to me, nor did the wife feel fleshed out enough to care strongly about. I was glad he and his wife were reunited at the end, but it was a strange way to get there. I like characters that are real enough to me to remain with me after I have finished the book, and none of these characters felt substantial enough to do that.

[katybee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hikikomori, n. literally pulling inward; refers to those who withdraw from society.Some novelists can shrink the world down to a very small place and still create a rich, detailed, and often beautiful universe. This is the story of a young American father, Thomas, and his wife, Silke. When their small son was killed in a tragic accident, Thomas cannot forgive himself and becomes ‘hikikomori’ - a complete recluse who has withdrawn into his room and away from human interaction. After several years, Silke is desperate when Thomas will literally do no more than occasionally speak through his locked door. She makes one last, extreme effort to draw Thomas out by hiring Megumi, a young Japanese immigrant. Megumi acts as a ‘rental sister’, a special sort of female outreach counselor who patiently leads Thomas back from his seclusion.The novel is unique and nuanced and written with complete control and lyricism and depth of feeling. How does Silke feel to lose her husband within their own home? How does Megumi feel to be a rental sister with her own personal losses and sacrifices? And Thomas… the author allows us into Thomas’s mind and heart, an experience of overwhelming guilt but leading to hope and finally back to love…but with Silke or with Megumi? Hikikomori and the Rental Sister is not a long story but many of the best novels are not. The publisher created a perfect, beautiful, small volume and within, Jeff Backhaus’s debut is memorable and distinctive. His readers will be patiently awaiting his next.

[hrabbit_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book. The idea was unique--a hikikomori in the US, helped by a Japanese woman who had some experience in this area. The writing is fresh and the flow is good. It helps if you have some background in Japan, of course. There are a few discrepancies in the novel, but nothing that takes away from it as a whole. Also, I felt it was a bit predictable when the relationship went where relationships are wont to go, and that was disappointing. But the ending and the conclusion were neatly done. You almost want a sequel.

[bookaholicgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I thought the writing of this book was beautiful, I did not enjoy the story as much as I did the description of the story. I am actually struggling with this review because of that. I never really connected with the characters and found most of the premise a bit far fetched and perhaps a bit distasteful. At the same time, there were chapters in the book that I found extremely moving and beautiful. I do believe that most of my issue with the book was merely a personal preference and not the fault of the book itself.

[lucas.schneider · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jeff Backhaus' The Rental Sister is a novel inspired by the Japanese social phenomenon "hikikomori," where one withdraws from society, and the professional “rental sisters” hired to help. The narrative is divided between the thoughts of Thomas, an emotionally scarred New Yorker who has isolated himself from the world and his wife for three years in his bedroom, and Megumi, a Japanese immigrant who came to New York to escape her own past.Backhaus beautifully weaves their intimate stories together while making observations on the world form an outsider's perspective.

[sunqueen_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A strange and beautiful novel, in which all the main characters hide secret heartbreaks. The premise was interesting at first, but got a bit bogged down with repetitive elements that took away from the main plot.

[eesil-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this book from Librarything's early reviewer program, so here comes my honest review. The writing was very readable in its sparse simplicity. I liked the concept of the story -- a story about a man who locks himself up in a room for three years following the death of his son for which he feels responsible, and who's wife goes to desperate lengths to get him out of his room. I found that his wife's agony about his refusal to leave his room and engage with her was vivid and heart wrenching. But I must agree with other reviewers who found the character of the "rental sister" to be an unrealistic male fantasy. Her emotions were unreal. And the ease with which they start a sexual relationship and the main character consequently leaves his room have the effect of making his grief seem shallow. To sum up: readable but somewhat frustrating.

[michaelbartley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a very interesting idea for a book. it seems that in Japan there is rental sisters, a woman it acts as counselor, sister, best friend, perhaps sex worker to help people with emotional problems. in this book, a man is in a deep deprestion because his young son was killed. he withdraws from the world and lives in his bedroom. his wife then hires a rental sister to bring him back into the world. i like the ending and the begining, the middles not so much

[melopher_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Intriguing premise - telling the story of an American man who finds himself reacting to life in a [generally] un-American way: hikikomori. I liked finding out more about Thomas and Megumi's stories, but wished to know more of the very two dimensional Silke. There was the makings of a great story here, but there were parts that sounded too much like they were drawn from male fantasy...and that I didn't enjoy. The writing was too simplistic to make me truly sympathetic.

[jules72653 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hikikomori is the Japanese term for someone who withdraws from and refuses to interact with the world. Thomas becomes Hikikomori after a particular tragedy for which he blames himself. His wife seeks the help of young Megumi who has some experience with this because of her brother. I enjoyed this book well enough. Chapters alternated viewpoints, Thomas and then Megumi. I would have liked to read his wife Silke's viewpoint, as well.

[lismb_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hikikomori and the Rental Story was an unusual story about a man who has locked himself in his room for three years following a devastating, life changing event. This is an adult married man whose wife is ready to try one more thing before calling it quits. She enlists the help of a woman who had a brother who was also self-confined to his room. This story is an easy read and interesting. I wish it had visited a little deeper into the mental state of the main character.

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Somehow in spite of my background studying Japanese, I had never heard of a hikikomori, an individual who isolates himself from others for a prolonged period of time, but according to the author of this novel, the phenomenon is widespread in Japan and Korea, though being virtually unknown here. The story explores the concept of an American hikikomori and the "rental sister" whom his wife hires to coax him out of his unusual state. Though a physical relationship develops between the two protagonists, the story is far less sexually charged than I expected, and instead pulls the reader sublimely into the unique world of the characters. The writing certainly has an Asian flavour to it, like Murakami without the magical elements. The spare style creates a figurative white space between each of the characters that compounds the reader's sense of each one's isolation. The transformation of the characters unfortunately fell a bit short of transforming me, but this was a promising debut and hopefully a sign of more good things to come from Backhaus.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Rental Sister by Jeff Backhaus; (2*)Backhaus has written a novel about an intimate and private conflict. The protagonist and narrator, Tom, has retreated into his room following a tragedy. His relationship with his wife is strained to the point where she is willing to try anything to get him to rejoin the living. This is where Megumi comes in. A woman whose history allows her a different perspective on what has happened to Tom and thus knows (?) how to help him.The relationships in this story are almost without conflict. For a novel containing so many painful elements almost none of it comes through in the writing of it. The reader understands that Tom has retreated into himself because he quite plainly says so in his narration. The reader also understands the reasons for Megumi's feelings because she quite plainly speaks of them to Tom.The moments of drama that do occur seem forced and seem to have no other reason for being than to move the story along.I found The Rental Sister to be disappointing. There is the potential for a good story within the book. The central conflict has enough meat for that but the novel gets bogged down in flowery prose and the careful tying up of loose ends to provide a happy culmination of the story. But in the end I was just not interested.

[tea58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thomas and his wife, Silke, have lived through a family tragedy no one wants to ever go through in life. Thomas and Silke's son dies at an early age while crossing the street. Silke and Thomas deal with the painful loss in different ways. Silke strives to go on with a normal life while Thomas totally withdraws to a room in their house. He only makes appearances at night to pick up something needed from the store. He is the only one in the room so he isn't making conversation with anyone. His only conversation happens when his wife comes to his door. He doesn't let her inside the room. He mumbles back to her through the door. The novel is about loss and recovery. The novel is beautifully written. I often thought of a Japanese garden which I think would be totally peaceful. Quiet enough for people to reach inside of themselves and find good and bad character treasures.Silke is just as soft as her name. She loves Thomas and gives him the space he needs to deal with his sadness. He blames himself for the death of their son. She make one big attempt to help him get out of the room and back to normalcy. She hires a Japanese and Korean lady who will try and reach Thomas. This means make him open the door and communicate his sorrows to another person. Rental Sister's name is Megumi. She also isn't pushy. Making me think the author JEFF BACKHAUS might be making the point that moving from emotional pain to acceptance of a horrible incident can never be rushed or agressively forced upon the person who is dealing with a monumental tragedy. So all the characters or most of the main characters seem to display this quiet spirit wanting the person to heal but not pushing their healing upon them.I waited anxiously to see whether Thomas would ever open the door to Megumi, and if he did open the door, what would happen next? What in the world would Megumi say to this sad man? Ultimately without telling the whole novel I discovered why Megumi is the perfect person to help Thomas. Throughout the novel, the author explains the Japanese and Korean culture. For example, one day Megumi says to Thomas "In America they say that birds sing....But in Korea they say that birds cry. Do yo know why?"The fact that Thomas has always kept a journal titled "My life through scars" really fascinated me. I had never heard of anyone keeping such a personal book. In this book he had written and described all of his physical scars. I couldn't help but think about our soldiers overseas. If they had the chance to write about a battle, would it help to write about the lost arm or the horrible bruise on the face? I think this is a wonderful idea for people who live through fires and car crashes. Even little children might find some comfort in writing about a bloody knee or a broken arm or how it felt to fall from their Tree house. I remember falling off my green tricycle. I had a huge bloody injury on my knee. When it scabbed over it was twice as ugly. Plus, I lost my priviledge to ride fast from the top of the hill and try to make a turn in a split second before just riding out in to the street. What if I had written down my feelings about that fall. It certainly traumatized my parents and me.In Hikikomori and the Rental Sister, Jeff Backhaus gave me so much to run over in my mind. Here is another one of his thoughts. "A heart can love twice. Two strangers in an earthquake. Trapped, they share the same black, dusty space. They nourish each..." I closed the novel thinking Jeff Backhaus must be an amazing speaker. To hear him speak the thoughts he wrote in the novel would feel like a gift to me. Listen to what Thomas says about his withdrawal from the world."It never felt like I was shutting out the world. More like my world had simply gotten smaller."Then, the author's thought about guilt. That heavy weight which loads all people down at one time or another. "My guilt is met with endless indifference, endless silence."jeffbackhaus

[jolleyg_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After the shock of witnessing his son die, run over by a car, Thomas Tessler suffered from a sense of overburdening guilt that he didn’t somehow prevent it from happening. So he retreats from the world with his scarred psyche and barricades himself in his bedroom, only coming out for the occasional midnight trek to the convenience store to replenish his supplies.Thomas’ wife Silke has stayed with him over the years, in spite of being locked out of his life and unable to persuade him to let her help him. It is not clear why she has been so faithful and persistent. Then she learns about a Japanese woman, Megumi, who is working in a Japanese confectionary shop and who has some experience with people who become hikikomori — the Japanese term for people who become fearful and refuse to go outside their rooms. Her brother was also a hikikomori.Megumi is suffering from her own sense of guilt about not being able to help her brother, but her form of retreat is to leave Japan and move to New York where she tries to forget the past through getting drunk with her friends and indulging in frequent sexual liaisons with the men she and her friends meet in bars.She does not want to help Thomas, but agrees to one meeting just to get Silke to stop asking her. Of course, one meeting leads to another until she finds herself falling in love with Thomas, and Thomas finds himself responding to Megumi’s need.Thomas, Silke and Megumi are each trapped in a solitary world of their own making. Silke and Megumi may be working and going through the motions in the outside world, but they are just as frozen inside themselves as Thomas is. So which is the more authentic response to psychic pain, which is the more authentic existence?Jeff Backhaus creates a sparse scenario, kind of like a Japanese garden, and he uses many uncanny images to convey the feelings of pain, separation and healing. His characters are like Noh actors — somewhat formulaic and whose depths are hidden behind wooden masks — but the story is intriguing, and his writing style is beautiful and thought provoking.My favorite quote from the book is: “No matter how big we try to make our world, in the end it’s just ourselves.” This message may sound simplistic on one level, but taken into deeper consideration it reveals a truth about each of our lives that we might want to take time to contemplate.

[dreamydress48 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Knowing that I am going to be separated from my physical library for a long time has thrown me into a reading frenzy. It's like Sophie's Choice around my house lately. Which books to read (or save) before I say my goodbyes? I don't know if you're guilty of this too, but I mostly hold off on reading books that I know I will love and cherish, and instead read ones that I know I'll just "like". It's like saving the best pieces of a chocolate box until the very end; reading okay books seems to make the real treasures that much more tastier. Am I weird? Am I wrong? Tell me I'm nuts.Well believe me when I tell you that Hikikomori and the Rental Sister was like a frakkin' chocolate truffle! I'm going to say upfront that it's not a book for everyone, but in my case it was so beautiful and even spiritual! It was odd and unique, but also elegant in light of the Japanese influences related to the story and characters.Hikikomori is a Japanese word used to describe a person who withdraws from the world and into themselves. Usually some kind of trauma known only to the the person causes this phenomena. Thomas and his wife Silke have experienced a tragic event in their lives, causing Thomas to retreat into his bedroom and never leave it. As a final measure, Silke seeks out a Japanese "rental sister" to lure her husband back into the world. What follows is a unique friendship and understanding between Thomas and Megumi, his hired "rental sister." Reluctantly thrown together, the two soon learn that they haven't fully grieved or accepted their losses.I stayed up all night and finished this book. I value my sleep, so that means this was pretty darn close to perfection. Who the heck are you, Jeff Backhaus? Where did you come from, and why does the back leaf of your book only include three sentences? Most importantly, what are you working on now? Geez! I need to get it together. I just may be going a little off the deep end here.

[jgoto_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Tessler was Hikikomori. After the death of his young son three years earlier, he withdrew into his own space, put a deadbolt on his bedroom door, and only crept out occasionally in the middle of the night, when he was sure his wife was sound asleep in the other room, to buy some groceries at a nearby convenience store. His wife, Silke, spoke to him through the closed door. Sometimes he chose to answer, sometimes he didn't. After not seeing her husband for three years, Silke was desperate. She hired Megumi, a young Japanese woman who had experience with Hikikomori in Japan, to try and coax her husband to leave his self-imposed isolation and rejoin the world. Megumi slowly gained Thomas's trust, was allowed to enter the locked room, and began an erotic relationship with him. I found myself anxiously hoping for Thomas's recovery, and although Megumi was a sympathetic character with demons of her own, I was rooting for Silke to reclaim her husband and get her life back.Each chapter of the novel is written either from the point of view of Megumi or Thomas. Those chapters which allow the reader into Thomas's thoughts as he slowly turns his deadbolt and scarcely breathes until he makes sure Silke is asleep and won't hear him, have a breathtakingly intimate quality. His inner struggles and fascination with Megumi are beautifully written and completely engaging. I highly recommend this book.

[gerconk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Rental Sister by Jeff Backhaus was an interesting premise for a novel - - that in Japan there are "rental sisters" who help those having mental breakdowns and hiding from society to return to the world. The setting of the story is in New York. A young woman, Megumi, has left Japan due to family problems and is called on to be a rental sister to a man, Thomas Tessler, who has remained in his room for three years following the death of his son. She meets with his wife and agrees to try to help Thomas. She calls on him and soon he lets her into his life, and she helps him go again out in the world.The story is rich with detail. One criticism I have is that I felt that Thomas allowed Megumi into his life too rapidly. This followed her information that she had a brother who hid himself before committing suicide. Maybe Thomas is afraid of himself committing suicide or he feels that she understands the grief and guilt he is experiencing after his little boy is killed when he runs out into the street and is hit by a car. Very rapidly they become lovers but in the end, Thomas is able to return to his wife and resume normal life, and Megumi returns to Japan. My other criticism is that the issue of the neighbor who is with Thomas when his son dies, and then later makes an attack on Megumi, is never settled. Following a fire in Thomas' apartment, Thomas moves to a new place with his wife and the neighbor is out of the story.The writing is good and the detail rich in The Rental Sister. If Thomas had moved more slowly to get involved with Megumi after three years of isolation, it would have been more believable.

[shearon_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

New Yorker Thomas Tessler hasn’t left his bedroom in over three years following the accidental death of his young son, for which Thomas blames himself. His wife, Silke, is desperate to get her husband back so she retains Megumi as a “rental sister” to try to coax her husband out of his room. Megumi, too, is grieving over her lost brother and alienation from her family. The story is very interesting but after Thomas and Megumi are intimate (like you didn’t see that coming) and a confused emotional bond develops, it loses its earlier uniqueness and becomes another love triangle with the various characters’ struggle among love, guilt, honor, duty, the past and the future. But it is a good story and definitely worth the read.Thanks to Library Thing Early Reviewers for the chance to read this book.

[johnborghi · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is a novel about a very intimate and very private sort of conflict. The main character, and sometimes narrator, Tom has retreated into his room following a tragedy- his relationship with his wife is strained to the point that she is willing to try anything to get him to rejoin the rest of his life. Enter Megumi, whose history allows her a unique perspective on what has happened to Tom and how to help him.This is also a relationship with a surprising lack of conflict. For a novel containing so many painful elements, almost none of it comes through on the page. We know that Tom has retreated into himself because he, very explicitly, says so in his periodic narration. We understand the reasons for Megumi's feelings because she, very explicitly, says them aloud to Tom. The moments of drama that due occur, most notably the fire, are tremendously unearned and generally have no consequence than to move the plot forward. Overall, Hikkomori and the Rental Sister is mostly just disappointing. There is the potential for interesting story telling here, the central conflict certainly has enough of the elements. But the novel gets bogged down in overly florid prose and carefully constructed happy endings to leave a lasting impression. In the end, I was more interested in the noodles Megumi spent seemingly every page describing than Tom and his retreat.

[mojomomma_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of how one man began healing from the grief and guilt of his son's death. His wife hires Megumi, a young Japanese woman, to lure him out of his bedroom where he has spent most of the last 3 years. Megumi, whose own brother withdrew in a similar way, succeeds in reintroducing Thomas to society...and his wife. I enjoyed this story. Backhaus's writing style reminds me of the spare elegance that is so admired in Japanese culture.

[the_darling_copilots · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What seemed like a dubious premise--this person locking himself in his room for years--could have gone either way. I am happy to report that it was very effective, and the auther acheived a compelling balance of suspense, emotional depth and intimate psychological insight. Highly recommended, if you're ready for something troubling and irresistable.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is set in New York City but it references a Japanese life style so completely that it seems like it could be happening in Tokyo. I thought it was an interesting story and it was beautifully written but, in the end, it didn’t seem quite real to me.Thomas has been staying in his room for 3 years, emerging only in the dead of night to buy groceries. Then he retreats to his room, shuts the door and deadbolts it. He hasn’t seen his wife, Silke, in all that time except from the dark hallway as he passes her bedroom when he goes out to buy groceries. Some tragedy caused him to go into his room and nothing Silke says or does will bring him out. Then Megumi, a young Japanese girl, is hired by Silke to be his rental sister. In Japan people like Thomas are called hikikomori and Megumi is familiar with them because her own brother was one. At first Megumi does not want to be a rental sister to Thomas because her experience with her brother was very traumatic. She is unable to say no to Silke though so she goes to talk to Thomas just the one time. Although Thomas is silent for the first visit Megumi finds she is unable to stay away.All three of the main characters have withdrawn from life although Thomas is the most extreme example. By the end they are ready to re-enter the world and are better for having encountered each other. It is almost like a fairy tale where everything ends happily ever after which is what bothered me about the book. However, sometimes it is nice to retreat to tales that do end happily.

[hfineisen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have not read Hikikomori and the Rental Sister before. Anywhere. Jeff Backhaus has written something I haven't read before. Not just because this is his debut. Backhauus has created something fresh and relevant through his story of a man who has become a hikikomori after the death of his young son. As defined from wired.com, "Hikikomori literally means “withdrawal” in Japanese and is used both as a noun and as an adjective. Though there are differing opinions as to the precise nature of hikikomori, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare uses the following definition:1. The person does not take part in society and is shut in his or her home for at least six months.2. The person does not have any intimate relationships other than with family members.3. The withdrawal is not a symptom of “other psychotic disorders.”4. Social withdrawal: not taking part in social activities, school or work"His wife hires a "Rental Sister", a young woman to bring him out of his shell, his room, his hopelessness. And with a mere three characters, Backhaus manages to sustain a story that I am still pondering, rehearsing on the stage in my head.We have a fight or flight response and each of the characters, the husband, the wife and the sister represents a different place in that cycle through their choices and actions. Or do they? Backhaus manges to create some cringe worthy moments of human behavior and response while maintaining a balance of compassion and understanding. As I am neither Hikikomori, Rental Sister, or partner of such, Backhaus has evoked in me that I could be any or all three. Other than one scene regarding the next door neighbor that seems forced but adds to the Rental Sister's vulnerability, this writing is seamless. And I am so glad that I had not read it before.I received this copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[jbealy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There is a phenomenon in Japan known as the hikikomori which, literally translated, means “pulling inward, being confined”. The person, usually a young man, completely withdraws, locks himself in his room, often in his parents' home, from 6 months to years at a time. Sometimes he may never come out. While the problem seems to be extensive, it is not well understood... shame, grief, a feeling of failure can all be contributing factors.In Jeff Backhaus' debut novel, The Rental Sister, Thomas is perhaps the only American hikikomori. A New York photographer responding to tragedy, he's locked himself in the master bedroom of the house he shares with his wife, Silke, who is now sleeping in what was their son's room. Thomas sneaks out at night to get food. Silke alternately sobs in her room or talks to Thomas through his bedroom door. He rarely responds. After 3 years of this, Silke hires Megumi as the “rental sister” to coax him out of his room.There is no doubt that Backhaus can write. He spins a tale both elegant and engaging. But he ultimately fails to convince that this story is anything more than every man's wet dream. In Japan, a rental sister is brought in to try and re-engage the hikikomori in society. And sister she is. In Backhaus' novel, if Megumi is to be considered a sister, the relationship is definitely of an incestuous nature. Wife and sister... all attention is on the hurting man.It's too bad Backhaus couldn't take his extensive skills as a writer and storyteller and really fly. He built the opportunity but ultimately let it fall by the wayside. Nonetheless, I look forward to seeing what he does next.

[jcambridge_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting read and introduced some things about Japanese culture and society of which I was not fully aware. For a first novel, I found the writing to be exceptional. There were a few elements of the story that could have been better developed -- how did Silke (the wife) know/learn about Megumi (the rental sister)? Why was Thomas so quick to accept Megumi and let her enter his life when he had been isolated for 3 years? Why did Silke suddenly attempt to take her own life when she had already suffered 3 years in her own form of isolation and at a time when Thomas was beginning to emerge? I was also not sure the introduction of the neighbor (Morris) added much to the story. Despite these lingering questions, I would recommend the book, particularly to those who wish to learn more about somewhat unique aspects of Japanese culture.

[brookeott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was magic. A very strange and unique story which was told with incredibly beautiful language. I couldn't put it down. It was obvious that the publisher treasured this book as well. Its dust cover had a velvety feel to it which seemed to add another dimension to the story, giving a soft texture to touch as well as to read. I will be looking for more writings by Mr. Backhaus.

[shayrp76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4 Starshikikomori, n hikika’mouri; literally pulling inward; refers to those who withdraw from society.---Taken from the back of the book.Thomas, an American, has withdrawn from life. He will not leave his room and barely speaks to his wife who stays by his side and still fights for what once was. Megumi, a Japanese immigrant, has run to America to forget her traumatic past and finds herself hired by Thomas’ wife to be his rental sister. Thomas and Megumi slowly form a bond in his room that proves to them that they have lives to live; lives they may have damaged.I will admit that if I would have written this review last night when I finished reading I would have given it less stars. The thought of throwing the book crossed my mind near the end because it made me so angry. I knew that, so I slept on it and can be less emotional about it now. The fact that I was angry really is a good thing (the author did something right) and I can recognize that.I will also admit that I did not like either Thomas or Megumi, both of which are the protagonists. That also isn’t a bad thing. They were both vivid and relatable, so this was not the author’s failure. There was something unlikable about them for me. Maybe it was the fact that I could predict where the story was going, which by the way, is my one complaint about this story. The novel is surprisingly calm and flows so smoothly that it was surprising that it elicited such strong emotions from me. My poor husband had to hear all about it. A huge positive side effect of this one is the fact that I learned something new. Immediately I was looking up Hikikomori and rental sisters. I find the whole thing fascinating and am looking for more books on the subject. This is another novel I will recommend.

[beamis12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An original comcept for a novel, but about a real phenomenon that occurs when people are unable to face the societal demands inposed on them. This book has many univeral themes such as the different way people handle grief, the desire to save a marriage and the hoplessness one feels when they are confronted with things out of their control. In clear and concise prose Backhaus and written a very interesting novel with wonderful characters who find a unique answer to a devastating problem.