Hunchback

A Novel

By: Saou Ichikawa

Narrated by: Polly Barton, Yuriri Naka

LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • A bombshell bestseller in Japan, a defiant, darkly funny debut novel about a young woman in a care home seeking autonomy and the full possibilities of her life—“not only a major achievement in disability literature but great literature period” (Johanna Hedva)

“A literary phenomenon in Japan, Hunchback is an extraordinary and thrilling debut novel about sex, disability, and power.”—International Booker Prize Judges

“Unforgettable . . . a thriller of the body . . . [a] miracle.”—The New York Times Book Review

Born with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka spends her days in her room in a care home outside Tokyo, relying on an electric wheelchair to get around and a ventilator to breathe. But if Shaka’s physical life is limited, her quick, mischievous mind has no boundaries: She takes e-learning courses on her iPad, publishes explicit fantasies on websites, and anonymously troll-tweets to see if anyone is paying attention (“In another life, I’d like to work as a high-class prostitute”). One day, she tweets into the void an offer of an enormous sum of money for a sperm donor. To Shaka’s surprise, her new nurse accepts the dare, unleashing a series of events that will forever change Shaka’s sense of herself as a woman in the world.

Hunchback has shaken Japanese literary culture with its skillful depiction of the physical body and its unrepentant humor. Winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize, it’s a feminist story about the dignity of an individual who insists on her right to make choices for herself, no matter the consequences. Formally creative and refreshingly unsentimental, Hunchback depicts the joy, anger, and desires of a woman demanding autonomy in a world that doesn’t always grant it to people like her. Full of wit, bite, and heart, this unforgettable novel reminds us all of the full potential of our lives, regardless of the limitations we experience.

©2025 Saou Ichikawa (P)2025 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A brilliant, riveting book that lets us tune into voices we have long kept suppressed.”—The Sunday Times (UK)

“[A] gloriously transgressive debut.”—The Guardian

“Audacious, insightful, bold, and—with its critique of ableism—necessary . . . an absolutely stunning debut . . . Some readers might be shocked by this brave novel; others might find themselves interrogating their own ableism.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Blooming from the Mud

My cousin needed someone to suction him his whole life, I got a strong feel for the narrator..
it felt real and poetic..
I felt a hypnotic feeling, the white light, the lotus flower washes the filth away even in the mud..
I for one really hope there's a part 2

Wonderfully Provacative

I enjoyed this book for its wonderfully transgressive writing. She gave me a perspective I have never hear before—that of a disabled Japanese woman. She is at once funny and deeply profound. I’ve been telling all of my disabled friends about this book.

Vulgar and offensive

I wish Audible would include warnings for such vulgar content. A complete waste of time and money.