<p>hikikomori, n. h?kik?'mo?ri; <em>literally pulling inward; refers to those who withdraw from society.</em></p><p> </p><p>Inspired by the real-life Japanese social phenomenon called <em>hikikomori</em> and the professional “rental sisters” hired to help, <em>Hikikomori and the Rental Sister</em> is about an erotic relationship between Thomas, an American <em>hikikomori,</em> and Megumi, a young Japanese immigrant hiding from her own past. The strange, insular world they create together in a New York City bedroom and with the tacit acknowledgment of Thomas’s wife reveals three human hearts in crisis, but leaves us with a profound faith in the human capacity to find beauty and meaning in life, even after great sorrow. Mirroring both East and West in its search for healing, <em>Hikikomori and the Rental Sister</em> pierces the emotional walls of grief and delves into the power of human connection to break through to the world waiting outside. </p><p> </p><p>Named an Indie Next pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, one of Book Riot’s 5 to Watch, and an iBookstore Editor’s Choice, this acclaimed novel <br />is now in paperback.</p>