Sisters In Yellow by Mieko Kawakami [Paperback]

Sisters in Yellow follows Hana, a poor fifteen-year-old girl growing up in a marginalized corner of Tokyo with her single mother. Life is difficult and uncertain until she meets Kimiko, an older, charismatic woman who becomes a mentor, friend, and source of hope.

Together they become involved in running a bar that serves hostesses, petty criminals, lonely men, and others living on society's fringes. For the first time, Hana experiences belonging, purpose, and the possibility of a better future. But beneath the glamour and excitement lies exploitation, moral compromise, and danger.

Twenty years later, Kimiko is standing trial, forcing Hana to revisit her past and confront painful truths about friendship, loyalty, manipulation, responsibility, and betrayal.