Books Sputnik Sweetheart: A Novel by Haruki Murakami (Author), Philip Gabriel (Translator)

"Sputnik Sweetheart" by Haruki Murakami, translated by Philip Gabriel, is a novel exploring themes of love, identity, and loneliness through the intertwined lives of three characters: Sumire, an aspiring writer; her close friend and narrator "K"; and Miu, an enigmatic older woman. Sumire becomes romantically and emotionally drawn to Miu, experiencing her first real attraction, which leads to significant personal changes. Sumire and Miu travel to Europe, where Sumire mysteriously disappears on a Greek island. The narrator, K, obsessed with Sumire, follows clues through letters and revelations, grappling with loss and longing.