SONGS FOR GHOSTS

A teenage boy helps a mysterious ghost after discovering her diary.

Nothing in Adam’s life makes him feel like he belongs: His Japanese mother died, and he’s living with his closed-off white father and his kind stepmother and baby half brother. He also just got dumped by his first boyfriend. When Adam discovers an old diary in the attic, he finds a welcome distraction in reading the words of a young woman living in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1911. The entries are letters to her deceased grandmother, telling of her studies, complex familial interactions, and even more complicated romantic relationships. She also writes about ghosts—some harmless and others not—and how playing the biwa, or Japanese lute, appeases them. Adam, who doesn’t believe in spirits, is shocked when the ghost of the diary writer appears, asking for his help: “I cannot rest / where did the story go.” He tries to discover answers by going on a homestay in Nagasaki, where he also explores his own cultural heritage, family history and dynamics, and messy love life in a country where he barely speaks the language. Kumagai’s sophomore novel is an exciting blend of paranormal, mystery, and romance elements. The past and present are entwined and parallel one another in this beautifully emotional story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, death, and family. Through the diary entries and Adam’s research and exploration, Japanese history, language, culture, and stories are seamlessly integrated into the narrative.

A thrilling and creative story of growth.