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Set on the rural Miura peninsula, southwest of Tokyo, the story focuses on the relationship between two very different people: Yukiko, a humble, single Christian woman with strong principles; and Fujio, an undisciplined social misfit and womanizer who loathes the social mores of his fellow human beings. Yukiko turns out to be the one woman Fujio cannot seduce, and she provides a moral lifeline for his confused psychological state as he sinks ever further into a mire of rape, murder and incarceration.
Ayako Sono, known for her concern with Japan's social problems and deteriorating moral principles, presents a rich tapestry of characters, including a smothering and indulgent mother, a high school dropout, a department store clerk, a precocious young boy; a Japanese Catholic priest, a female lawyer, lonely housewives, pestering reporters and persistent policemen.
The psychology of a serial murderer and a depiction of the workings of the Japanese police and media are topics rarely found in literature from Japan. Against that background, Ayako Sono delicately probes into the reasons behind love, hate, and even murder.
