Songs for Ghosts
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Songs for Ghosts
Narrated by:
Kenichiro Thomson, Susan Momoko-Hingley
Buy Now for ₹546.23
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Narrated by:
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Kenichiro Thomson
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Susan Momoko-Hingley
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Written by:
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Clara Kumagai
Seventeen-year-old Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend Evan and is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of term or a whole summer stuck at home with his dad, stepmom and baby brother, Benji.
But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. They were written by a young woman living in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam is enraptured by her life and loves, becoming totally absorbed in her story. And then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence . . .
Equal parts globe-trotting love drama, chilling ghost story and exploration of Japanese history, Songs for Ghosts's poetic prose and memorable characters will leave readers breathless.
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Critic Reviews
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Year, 2025
A Booklist Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, 2025
One of CBC Books' Best Canadian Children's Books of 2025
A Canadian Children’s Book Centre's Best Book for Kids & Teens, Spring 2026 — Starred Selection
A 2026 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the 2026 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
PRAISE FOR Songs for Ghosts:
"Kumagai’s sophomore novel is an exciting blend of paranormal, mystery, and romance elements. The past and present are entwined and parallel one another in this beautifully emotional story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, death, and family. . . . A thrilling and creative story of growth." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"Lyrical and haunting, Kumagai’s ghostly tale of love and identity is a testament to the healing power of story and its capacity to bridge divides between cultures and generations. Based on Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, this is an act of reclamation, telling the story from the perspective of the opera’s most marginalized character and illuminating often overlooked aspects of Japanese life in the early twentieth century. A beautiful and necessary work." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"Even with all these distinct storylines and plot elements, Clara Kumagai is subtle and elegant in wrapping them together across time and place, and bringing Adam and the diary writer as well as other characters to merge in a satisfying and redemptive way. As such, readers as well as the ghosts who want to be remembered are appeased." —CanLit for LittleCanadians
"Woven between two timelines, Kumagai draws readers into a compelling world of mystery and memories that refuse to be forgotten. At once haunting and tender, this is a book I'll hold close for a very long time." —Sarah Suk, award-winning author of The Space Between Here & Now and Meet Me at Blue Hour
A Booklist Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, 2025
One of CBC Books' Best Canadian Children's Books of 2025
A Canadian Children’s Book Centre's Best Book for Kids & Teens, Spring 2026 — Starred Selection
A 2026 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the 2026 Amy Mathers Teen Book Award
PRAISE FOR Songs for Ghosts:
"Kumagai’s sophomore novel is an exciting blend of paranormal, mystery, and romance elements. The past and present are entwined and parallel one another in this beautifully emotional story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, death, and family. . . . A thrilling and creative story of growth." —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews
"Lyrical and haunting, Kumagai’s ghostly tale of love and identity is a testament to the healing power of story and its capacity to bridge divides between cultures and generations. Based on Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, this is an act of reclamation, telling the story from the perspective of the opera’s most marginalized character and illuminating often overlooked aspects of Japanese life in the early twentieth century. A beautiful and necessary work." —STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"Even with all these distinct storylines and plot elements, Clara Kumagai is subtle and elegant in wrapping them together across time and place, and bringing Adam and the diary writer as well as other characters to merge in a satisfying and redemptive way. As such, readers as well as the ghosts who want to be remembered are appeased." —CanLit for LittleCanadians
"Woven between two timelines, Kumagai draws readers into a compelling world of mystery and memories that refuse to be forgotten. At once haunting and tender, this is a book I'll hold close for a very long time." —Sarah Suk, award-winning author of The Space Between Here & Now and Meet Me at Blue Hour
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