Swallows by Natsuo Kirino [Paperback]

Swallows is a sharp and unsettling contemporary novel set in Japan, following Riki, a 29-year-old woman struggling financially in Tokyo who agrees to become a surrogate for a wealthy couple in exchange for a life-changing payment. What begins as a straightforward business arrangement becomes increasingly complicated as the couple attempt to control her body and choices. Through Riki’s struggle to retain her dignity and autonomy, the novel examines class inequality, gender, reproductive exploitation, tradition and power in contemporary Japanese society.