This was a very thought provoking book. I loved reading Midoriko’s diary entries and getting an insight into how she is processing learning about how babies are made. I also really appreciated Yuriko’s take on the ethics of childbirth. As someone who was suicidal for a long time, these are thoughts I myself have had. Is it ethical to have a child when, along with joy, you will be bringing them into a world of suffering, and they cannot consent to being born? Along with these thoughts, however, I want to have kids someday. I always have. I think Mieko Kawakami did an excellent job verbalizing this discussion through Yuriko and Natsuko.

I also really liked the asexual representation. While the word asexual is never used, Natsuko is by definition, asexual. I don’t see ace representation very often so it was very much appreciated and it was perfect in this story.