The Fetishist

By: Katherine Min

Narrated by: Eunice Wong, Kayla Min Andrews

An Indie Next Pick

In this hilariously savage, poignant novel by acclaimed author Katherine Min, a grieving daughter’s revenge on the man who caused her mother’s death sets off a series of unexpected reckonings.

On a cold, gloomy night, twenty-three-year-old Kyoko stands in the rain with a knife in her hoodie’s pocket. Her target is Daniel, who seduced Kyoko’s mother then callously dropped her, leading to her death. But tonight, there will be repercussions. Following the unsuspecting Daniel home, Kyoko manages to get a rash kidnapping plot off the ground . . . and then nothing goes as planned.

The Fetishist is the story of three people—Kyoko, a Japanese American punk-rock singer full of rage and grief; Daniel, a philandering violinist forced to confront the wreckage of his past; and Alma, the love of Daniel’s life, a Korean American cello prodigy long adored for her beauty, passion, and talent, but who spends her final days examining if she was ever, truly, loved.

An exuberant, provocative story that confronts race, complicity, visibility, and ideals of femininity, The Fetishist was written before the celebrated author’s untimely death in 2019. Startlingly prescient, as wise and powerful as it is utterly delightful, this novel cements Katherine Min’s legacy as a writer with a singular voice for our times.

©2024 Katherine Min (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"The Fetishist is so reverent and so unruly, so delicate and so explosive, such a merge of chamber music with the mosh pit, so devastatingly sad and devastatingly funny and alive and generous with its abundance of life! I mourn Katherine Min, and am grateful this fiery novel of hers insisted its way out of Katherine’s laptop and into the world. Hats off to Kayla Min Andrews for clearing the path."—Susan Choi, author of Trust Exercise

"The Fetishist is lit from the very first page with a wicked, crackling, hilarious intensity. The subject is provocative, the writing is flush with elegance and intelligence. I finished this book and immediately wanted to talk about it with someone. It's a fire-starter of a novel."—Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

"Fiercely intelligent, perfectly crafted, and brimming with wit, The Fetishist is a moving exploration of art, love, grief, and desire. Katherine Min’s sentences will provoke you and wind their way around your heart."—Lisa Ko, author of The Leavers

Well done!

Thank you for publishing Katherine's last novel. And what a novel it is! Kudos to all involved!

Unpredictable.

I was excited to read this book and it was better than I imagined. The words and story are beautifully written. It is funny and raw. The afterward made me sad but hopeful that Katherine's children still feel her with them.

Story Telling at it’s highest level

So hard to describe. Unique women, Asian women, stereotypes, abusive men, caring men. Rich language.

Meh

Sooooo cannot finish this. I tried. Less than half way through I have to abandon. Maybe it’s just not for me.