But in Japan, as she soon discovers, you can never really throw away your past. From the Back Cover Hoping to outpace her grief in the wake of her fathers suicide, Marina has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year. If You Follow Me is at once a fish-out-of-water tale, a dark comedy of manners, and a strange kind of love story that explores the tension of being the outsider in an intimate community and the joy in finding that human nature is the same everywhere. Marina is a big city girl is in a small town filled with off-beat characters, including an ambitious town matchmaker, a dentist looking for free English lessons, a high school student who idolizes Western rap artists, and finally Marinas America-obsessed supervisor, Hiro, a town leader whose friendship teaches her more than she ever expected. Its also an attempt to escape the reality that has followed her since her father committed suicide only a year earlier. For her, Shika is more than just her home as a temporary person. Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Prep and American Wife In Malena Watrous beautifully wrought and deftly written debut novel, we meet Marina, a young woman who has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year. Its fearlessly honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and extremely funny, and I cant rmend it highly enough. Book Synopsis I love, love, love If You Follow Me. Fans of the works of Curtis Sittenfeld, Diana Spechler, and Min Jin Lee, as well as those interested in Japanese culture, will love If You Follow Me. It tells the story of Marina, who moves to Japan to teach English shortly after her father s tragic suicide, and finds unexpected solace with her Japanese supervisor and seemingly indifferent neighbors. Michelle Richmond, bestselling author of The Year of Fog Beautifully wrought and deftly written, If You Follow Me is the stunning debut novel from author Malena Watrous.

Curtis Sittenfeld, New York Times bestselling author of Prep and American Wife Graceful, smart, and filled with wonder, If You Follow Me is a heartfelt delight from beginning to end. It s fearlessly honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and extremely funny, and I can t rmend it highly enough. About the Book I love, love, love If You Follow Me.

If you follow me by malena watrous