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“Kaneshiro integrates themes of ethnic heritage, prejudice, identity, and belonging into Sugihara’s relationships with his parents, friends, and girlfriend (from whom he withholds his given name, Lee, for fear of losing her). The witty, sarcastic narrative voice conveys great poignancy, as when Sugihara confesses his true ethnicity and hears: ‘Silence. Silence. Silence. Silence.’ A memorable, conflicted, defiant protagonist and an idiosyncratic love story drive this thought-provoking page-turner.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Takami Nieda provides gratifying anglophone access to Kaneshiro’s searing ruminations—heightened by Malcolm X and Bruce Lee, softened by Miles Davis and Brahms—on history, xenophobia, and, of course, love.” —Booklist

“Written with poignant authenticity…The cross-cultural themes are universal and, with heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the current emphasis on boundaries and otherness, it is a perfect time to meet the hotheaded yet vulnerable young Korean who took Japan by storm.” —The Japan Times