Child of Fortune

New in Penguin Japanese Classics- an innovative feminist novel about motherhood and girlhood

Introducing Penguin Japanese Classics- a collection of some of Japan’s most celebrated and ground-breaking 20th century writers, with covers inspired by Japanese art and design. Taking us from a sun-drenched affair in a seaside town to an underground ‘ark’ full of shadows and eccentrics, with stops at mountains of skulls, lonely apartments and boarding school dormitories, this series is perfect for new and long-time readers of Japanese literature.

Koko won’t do what is expected of her. Defying her family’s wishes, she has brought up her eleven-year-old daughter alone in her apartment. And now, after a casual affair, she is unexpectedly pregnant again. What will this mean for her already troubled relationship with her daughter? Child of Fortune is an unflinching portrayal of a woman’s innermost fears and desires.

‘A terrific novel’ Angela Carter

Translated by Geraldine Harcourt