Penance by Kanae Minato (translated by Philip Gabriel)

This novel is a translated work from Kaneo Minato, which is said to be written in between housework.

The story spans more than a decade, starting from the time a 10 year old city girl from Tokyo came to live in a rural countryside because of her father’s transfer. There, Emily befriends 4 girls of the same age as her.

Emily was a victim of rape and murder, under the eyes of her 4 young friends, by a man who who had more motive to kill than covering up his lust.

Emily’s mother, Asaki,  threatened the young witnesses with revenge and asked that they do penance because none was able to identify the perpetrator.

The 4 girls never completely emerged from their trauma. Sae married a boy who had eyes on her since the time of the murder and was in constant contact with Emily’s bereaved mother. Sadly Sae ended up killing the new husband when he turned violent in their new home overseas.

Maki, the girl who felt neglected all her life, was never offered counselling after the murder. She had remembered the face of the murderer but fear and the threat of Emily mother’s revenge never left her. When an intruder entered the school premises that Maki was working with the intention to harm the children, she wanted to do what she couldn’t for Emily years ago. The intruder ended up dead from Maki’s lethal kick. In a press conference, Maki shared her childhood trauma and explained her belated over-reaction as the cause of the school death.

Akiko was another neglected child and did not receive the support from her parents even after Emily’s death. One day, she saw her step niece who was being raped. Akiko relived that dreadful day and in the attempt to undo that day, killed the rapist who was actually her brother.

Yuka the last child witness to Emily’s murder has an obsession with policemen since the case. Her brother-in-law, a policeman, fathered her baby. In a tussle to shush Yuka, he was pushed down the stairs and died.

Emily’s mother finally learnt how deadly her threat to the young girls have damaged their lives. She has a hidden story of her own and the story goes full circle as the reader realizes the murderer rapist to her dear child is actually the girl’s father as the missing pieces of Asako’s youth, and the girls’ separate account fall into place.