Lost Girls and Love Hotels, Catherine Hanrahan

Having just graduated from a yearlong program and a month away from my two-month unpaid internship, I was on the lookout to borrow some books. I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t frequent the library as often as someone like me should (I read a lot). In fact I can’t remember the last time I’ve been… Lucky for me, my roommate has an entire wall of books she’s read and just won’t make the conversion to e-reading. (I on the other hand am a HUGE fan of it – less clutter).  

I found Lost Girls and Love Hotels among the living room stacks. With a melancholy tone this book reads like a memoir. In an attempt to run from her home-life situation in, main character and U.S. native Margaret flees to Tokyo in hopes for some sort of improvement. But as many travellers find, Margaret can’t put kilometers between her and her thoughts. Brief hope and distraction comes in the form of Kazu, an attractive Japanese gangster that takes her to hotels designed to encourage secret affairs. This book gives you a glimpse into the shady and lonely sides of expat life and what it would be like to be able to disappear if you were so inclined. Catherine Hanrahan's style of writing flows well making this an easy read.