"[Asako] Yuzuki takes a thrilling look into female relationships, revealing the complex nature of modern-day social conventions pertaining to a woman’s appearance and her place in the home, and enriching the proceedings with mouthwatering descriptions of food. Like the meals Yuzuki describes, this leaves the reader satiated." — Publishers Weekly
“The novel cleverly intertwines paeans to the pleasures of eating with indictments of Japan’s standards for women.” — New Yorker
"Asako Yuzuki has turned [Butter] into not just a fascinating psychological puzzle but also a damning indictment of Japanese misogyny and fatphobia." — New York Times
"An unputdownable, breathtakingly original novel about true crime, loneliness and female appetite in all its tricky, transgressive glory. I will be spoon-feeding Butter to every woman I know." — Erin Kelly, author of The Skeleton Key
"A delectable meditation on appetite, fatphobia and misogyny in modern Japan – Butter is a salty morsel with one hell of a bite." — Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller
"An intriguing and unusual novel with a fresh perspective [that] defies categorization: part psychological exploration of misogyny and fatphobia, part social commentary on contemporary Japan and the roles and expectations of the women who live there." — Library Journal Advance Reviews
"Ambitious and unsettling … a thought-provoking and surprisingly feelgood take on friendship, transgressive pleasures, and society’s impossibly contradictory expectations of women." — Guardian
"Exuberant, indulgent romp of a novel … Butter is a full-fat, Michelin-starred treat that moves seamlessly between an Angry Young Woman narrative and an engrossing detective drama and back again. Yuzuki has crafted an almost Dickensian cast of fleshy characters, with just as many surprise connections … Let this book bring you under its spell." — The Times (UK)
"It'll make your mouth water." — Irish Independent
Hanako Footman brings gravitas and humor to this psychologically insightful novel based on the true crime of a gourmet cook/con woman/serial killer. Using a clever ploy, journalist Rika secures a meeting with taciturn Manako Kajii in her Tokyo jail cell. Imprisoned for the deaths of three wealthy businessmen, Kajii refuses to talk about her case but willingly talks about food, especially the joys of butter. Descriptions of mouthwatering Japanese dishes fill their meetings. Footman's performance makes it impossible to look away as Rika's life undergoes dramatic shifts and she loses her sense of self. Rife with stunning social commentary, misogyny, fat shaming, and the transformative power of food, Yuzuki's lush writing and Footman's artful delivery make this audiobook a sensual pleasure. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine