fiction & poetry writer
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a man in tallinn has found the one job no man is supposed to want. paid companion for the lonely, the isolated, the elderly. the role exists in european legislation but not in culture, designed for women, borrowed from a practice that only makes sense in japan. he does it anyway, and he is good at it. the job asks him to be present for everyone. he is. the rest of his life arranges itself around that fact.
a literary titan silver book award winner
featured in the No. 18 edition of Kirkus Reviews
"an incisive novel about relationships, both of the organic and paid-for varieties."
"a character study of a man who's very good at closeness and not very good at being known... conversational, melancholy, and often uncomfortably perceptive about the way people outsource connection while still needing it to feel real."
"a short read well worth taking, no matter which genre you enjoy."
"yes, this one was hard. but I did keep thinking about it, especially about loneliness, emotional labor, intimacy, and what happens when something as human as companionship is converted into a service."
"quiet, sharp, and devastating in the way it turns ordinary moments — a hug, a meal, a logged appointment — into something full of meaning."
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