Swallows is a darkly funny and thought-provoking novel that explores the messy intersections of class, womanhood, and control in modern Japan. Riki, stuck in a cycle of low-wage temp work and discount meals, sees a way out when she’s offered money for egg donation. At the same time, former ballet star Motoi and his wife Yuko are desperate to have a child, leading them down a morally murky path involving surrogacy through a legal loophole.

As their stories collide, the novel introduces a cast of quirky, complex characters—from controlling mothers to sex-worker therapists—each with strong opinions and their own agendas.

With biting wit and emotional depth, Swallows asks: What does it really mean to have agency over your life and body? And can money ever truly buy happiness?

I received a free copy of, Swallows, by Natsuo Kirino, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Riki decided to be a surrogate to make money, in Japan for married couple Motoi and Yuko. I could not get into this book at all, I did not like the characters.

i felt mildly entertained while reading, but mostly because the prose was accessible and easy to breeze through. it did legitimately challenge my thinking (or lack thereof) on surrogacy but at the times felt overly proselytizing. it also felt really unrealistic for certain characters to change their privilege-shaped thinking based on light feedback/pushback.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this novel. It paints a really bleak picture of poverty and the commodification of reproduction as it follows the story of a young woman weighing the decision to become a surrogate.

Alternating between the woman and the rich couple who wants to hire her to have their baby, the novel emphasizes in no uncertain terms that wealth inequalities create dynamics where poor women end up renting their bodies to survive.

While some of the novel seemed to drag on with characters going back and forth about the same reservations, this book is worth finishing for the stunning conclusion. I’m truly glad I was able to read an advanced copy.

Although it took a while for the plot to get started, I felt overall this was a strong novel. Very well written and the characters were very well developed and weaved into the plot perfectly.

I enjoyed this book, set in Japan and written by a Japanese author. There was so much cultural references that it felt like a mini-trip to Japan starting with the title. From my abbreviated internet sleuthing I think swallows are a symbol of fertility in Japan which fits with the plot of the book. Rikki is a young single woman working at temp jobs that are low paying when she decides to become a surrogate using her own egg. The main character, and others, go through difficult feelings concerning the surrogacy, much like women do regarding adoption. My favorite thing to 'discover' about the book was shunga art. I didn't know! I enjoyed the book, and thought the ending fitting. Would definitely recommend!

For a young woman in Tokyo is working as a temp, her precarious financial situation seems to find somewhat of a resolution when she decides to perform as a surrogate for a couple unable to reproduce, in effect, hiring out her uterus. But that is only one body part, and it is attached to a whole. What Kirino has done in this extraordinary novel is bring Japan's attitudes toward such matters into focus, with many surprises along the way. How she is matched up with the couple and the bureaucratic roadblocks and loopholes they encounter along the way make for fascinating reading. Also the Japanese attitudes towards sex, as exemplified through the main and auxiliary characters. Thus, the chapters could be read as a series of essays on these subjects, which although repetitive in part, proved page turning. I have to say, though, I was puzzled by the choice of title.

In Swallows, Natsuo Kirino delivers a sharp, unsettling story about a young woman in Tokyo who agrees to become a surrogate for a wealthy couple in a last-ditch effort to escape her dead-end life. Riki, stuck in temp jobs and barely affording meals, is drawn into a shadowy world where everything—including her body—has a price.

The couple, former ballet star Motoi and his wife Yuko, are desperate to have a child. But as Riki becomes entangled in their lives, it’s clear that nothing about the arrangement is as straightforward as it seems. Surrounding them is a cast of complicated, often contradictory characters that highlight just how murky the ideas of choice, control, and motherhood can be.

Swallows is gripping, thought-provoking, and deeply grounded in the realities of class, gender, and survival. Kirino doesn't offer easy answers—but she does make you think about the ones you already have. A powerful, timely novel that lingers long after the last page.

Riku, a young woman who is in debt and with no prospects financially or romantically decided to apply to donate her eggs. She is instead selected to apply to be a surrogate. The husband no well known puppy ballet dancer and the wife was unable to get pregnant. The two of them are a bit older.

What ensues is like a Moliere play with twists and turns, characters who seemed like they'd be friends no longer allying.

Questions about the extent to which a woman is explored with her body. If a woman is willing to sell her body like see x work or in this case her child-bearing facilities, and is in dire stairs. It's it exploitation or just another asset that can be used for trading/business? To what extent are surrogate locked in and need to obey?

It also just made me think at large about contracts that people are willing to forcing other to sign in regards to how the should live their lives, be silenced it forced not to say anything nda, even if legally it's binding it is surely ethically wrong to ask someone in a less powerful position to comply?

The summary of the book had me intrigued, but it simply fell flat for me. A lot of it felt unnecessarily repetitious and the translation itself felt awkward. It is not a long read, but from the point of view of a Western reader, there's not a lot that is new here.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Anyone interested in surrogacy issues will find it to be a thoughtful read.

The premise of this book had me excited to read it. However, actually reading it was difficult, and I made it half way through before giving up. I believe that the author is quite capable of telling a story, but the pacing of the book was slow with not much action and not much point. I was able to make it as far as I did because the author does a good job engaging the reader enough to read pages here and there, but the lack of plot and movement made me unmotivated to finish it.

I wasn't a fan of this one. I didn't really like any of the characters. The story felt forced.
Sadly, I don't recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the e-arc

#NetGalley
#Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor

Riki is down on her luck. She never has anything go her way....but suddenly she has a chance to make a bunch of money. So she decides to use surrogacy as her way up the ladder. Interesting subject.. This novel was captivating. Throughout the book one is never sure what Riki will decide and she uses her friends and family to make many of her important decisions.. The book kept me curious and it was a quick and easy read. If your touchy about sex..this may not be the book for you.....although nothing in it is unsavory....just a little descriptive. The only problem I found with it is that I really never got to like any of the characters....my reason for finishing it was to find out the resolution. I do recommend if you can go into it with an open mind. Does anyone think selling their womb is the way out of poverty? Lots to discuss and think about..

3.5 Stars. Swallows offers a compelling and unflinching look into the complex lives of individuals navigating Japan's societal expectations and personal struggles. Natsuo Kirino weaves together the stories of Riki, Motoi, and Yuko with a sharp sense of realism, exploring themes of hope, desperation, and moral ambiguity. The characters are deeply human—flawed, nuanced, and relatable in their own ways. Riki’s life as a temp and her decision to participate in egg donation highlight the stark realities faced by many young women trying to make ends meet. Meanwhile, Motoi and Yuko’s journey through infertility and the controversial workaround they seek adds layers of tension and ethical questions. However, at times, the narrative felt a bit fragmented, with multiple perspectives and storylines competing for attention. Some readers might find it challenging to fully connect with each character's inner world or to keep track of the various viewpoints. Additionally, the pacing can be uneven, especially in sections that delve into detailed societal critiques. Overall, Swallows is a thought-provoking read that sheds light on taboo subjects with honesty and empathy. It may not be a seamless voyage from start to finish, but its depth and social commentary make it a worthwhile and eye-opening experience.

“The Swallows” by Natsuo Kitino (Japanese contemporary literary fiction novel), is an emotional, haunting, at times funny, thought-provoking story layered with complexities. At the heart of the story is a young woman trying to survive her circumstances between poverty, loyalty, love, loss, victory, and defeat. It’s a bold and beautifully written book.

“Nothing has ever gone right for Riki. She left her boring hometown in Hokkaido, where she worked at a nursing home, for a better life in Tokyo. But as a temp in the big city, she has no job security, and barely scrapes by.”
Riki’s friend told her about an agency where qualified women receive a massive sum of money for their egg donation. Riki jumps at the chance to get an interview.

Formal ballet leading man, Motori Kusaoke and his wife, Yuko had been trying to conceive for years. And although surrogacy was technically illegal in Japan, there was a company that — allowed a little light to pass through. Perhaps flawed— but indiscretions were guarded.

Soon after Riki accepted a down payment to be a surrogate, topsy-turvy opinions rolled in.
Yoko’s sex-obsessed, asexual best friend and Motoi’s controlling prima ballerina mother, as well as the sex-worker/therapist all had points of view (judgements, hypothesis’s, speculations, feelings, and thoughts).

Money might make Riki’s life easier — but discrepancies issues arise—(worries from other biases, personal self worth, and societal divisions).

Riki was dissatisfied with her job, tired of feeling bad about herself, having an inferiority complex, lonely, and no money.

“In Japan, it was illegal to undergo artificial insemination with anyone, but the person you were legally married to. So Motoi and Yuko had gotten divorce on paper so that Riki could go through with the process. Which is how Riki had become Motoi’s legal wife”.

“Wherever she went, Riki was reminded that she had less than other people”. (I mean who hasn’t felt that themselves at one time or another?).
Emotions of jealousy, and resentfulness, couldn’t be fully denied. So, Riki felt she deserved more and that it was natural to be drawn to the surrogate job as a way to help herself financially while also doing a good deed.
And it was only after Motoi and Yuko asked Riki to be a surrogate that things changed between them.

There are a couple twists and turns I didn’t see coming - that added to the heaviness my heart.

Terrific translation by Lisa Hofmann-Kuroda
And congrats to Natsuo Kirino (thanks for creating a character I’m still rooting for).

I just couldn't get into this story, and so this is a DNF for me. I think the problematic cultural perspectives of surrogacy and my lack of interest in the character of Riki combined to put me off the story.

Maybe it was just me, but I didn't care for this one at all. In the synopsis for this book it states "Acutely funny" but I feel like that may be overstated? I didn't find this book funny acutely or otherwise.

The Run-Down: Natsuo Kirino’s Swallows explicitly engages with feminist issues surrounding surrogacy, childbirth, and motherhood, but falls flat as a storytelling endeavor.

Review:
What if two utterly insufferable individuals decided to have a baby via surrogacy? Such is the premise of popular Japanese author Natuso Kirino’s Swallows. Riki is a struggling twenty-nine-year-old temp worker in Tokyo; she is sick of scraping by to make ends’ meet. When her friend introduces the idea of egg donation as a way to get some extra cash, Riki fills out an application. The fertility agency informs her that she is ineligible for egg donation—but they have another, pseudo-legal option for her that promises far greater financial reward for far greater risk. A Japanese couple struggling with infertility—an ex-star ballerina Motoi and his wife, Yuko—is willing to offer a significant sum of money for a surrogate. Since Riki is Japanese and resembles the aspiring mother in appearance, she is their ideal candidate.

All of the characters in this novel approach monumental life decisions with bizarre flippancy. “Why not?” seems to be their motto when it comes to romance and reproduction. Motoi only wants a child so that he can live vicariously through his genetic offspring, and Yuko goes along with this plan despite having no real desire to raise a child she is not biologically related to and no real solid affection for her husband as a life partner. The characters pantomime serious discussions required for weighty adult decisions while spouting the most inane rationalizations imaginable. Given that everyone in this book treats matters such as marriage, divorce, and parenthood as impermanent inconveniences, it is not surprising that Riki agrees to be the surrogate for this hopelessly dysfunctional couple.

Kirino leaves no doubt about the main characters’ motivations, either. She describes in her characters’ situations, actions, and thoughts directly and leaves absolutely no room for inference or imagination. Any thematic discussions the book raises occur on page. Her aggressive brand of “telling” rather than “showing” prevents the novel from dealing in the sort of subtlety and nuance that make literary fiction appealing, but it does produce a compulsive readability. It’s hard not to continue reading to find out what will happen as these incurably stupid and selfish people refuse to stop playing with fire after burning themselves over and over again.

If you’re like and me and read this book due to curiosity about how events will turn out, you’re likely to be disappointed. Kirino herself seems to write herself into a corner and opts for a shocking, yet ultimately uncathartic, ending to escape it. But much like having children, you can’t simply toss things into the wind when your creation no longer becomes convenient for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Riki decides to become a surrogate for a wealthy couple, the story follows the ups and downs of her pregnancy.

Natsuo Kirino is my favorite Japanese writer, but this new book of hers left me disappointed. It's not a bad novel per se, but the main characters stay distant and unlikable throughout. An out-of-luck surrogate mother, the disconnected couple, so many doubts and questions. Thank you #netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.