Whitney Award Finalist 2021
The fourth of seven sisters, Shisei has always been called cursed. Her twin brother died at birth. Her name shortens to shi—death. And in a world where superstition rules and myths walk among mortals, she’s the only one who can see the fox spirit that shadows her.
When her eldest sister’s pregnancy threatens to become another death laid at Shisei’s feet, she flees before death can follow her home again. She finds purpose as an apprentice to a mask maker, learning that broken things, when mended with gold, become more beautiful than before.
But death finds her anyway.
When her youngest sister faces execution for a crime she didn’t commit, she’s given seven impossible tests to prove her innocence—each representing a divine attribute. Each sister possesses one gift, and Shisei holds the thread that can weave them all together: the art of illusion. Using her talents to make each sister appear as the youngest, they’ll risk everything on a deception that could condemn them all.
Woven with haiku, Japanese folklore, and the delicate art of mask-making, Fourth Sister is a love story—not of romance, but of sisterhood. A tale of self-acceptance, mending broken relationships, and discovering that what we believe is our curse may be our greatest strength.
Little Women x Spirited Away
“Every description and dialogue is so authentic that it is like looking into another place and time and immerses you in a world where myths are reality but superstition also abounds. The characters are intensely human. One of the captivating elements is how true to life they are.” – Rick Haws
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Available as ebook and paperback