Description
Book SynopsisBorn to a wealthy and powerful yakuza boss, Shoko Tendo lived the early years of her life in luxury. However, when she was six, everything changed: her father was jailed, and the family fell into debt. Bullied by her classmates because of her father's activities, and terrorized at home by her father, who became a drunken, violent monster after his release from prison, Tendo rebelled. As a teenager she became a drug addict and a member of a girl gang. At the age of 15 she spent eight months in a juvenile detention center after getting into a fight with another gang. During Japan's bubble
Trade Review"Emotionally complex and thoroughly heart-rending, this book is recommended for anyone searching for a more thorough and personal understanding of Japanese society." —
Publishers Weekly"The first female ever to break the code of silence and speak about life for women in the underworld...her best-selling memoir shocked [Japan]... with its graphic accounts of her addictions to sex, drugs and violent lovers." —
Marie Claire^
"[Tendo’s] story...shines a light into a dark and little understood corner of modern Japan." —
The Guardian"The book offers a rare woman's view of Japan's criminal underbelly." —
The Independent"Much has been written about Japan's gangsters—their full-body tattoos, boozing, womanizing, strict honor codes and occasional explosions of violence. Very little has been heard from their lovers, daughters or wives. Tendo has been all three." —
Bloomberg"A chilling and tawdry tale about family life and romance among the yakuza." —
The Wall Street Journal"A raw, heartbreaking account of damaged youth." —
Bust^
"A thrilling memoir...an exclusive glimpse into a life rarely experienced firsthand." —
Time Out Chicago^
