A striking collection of short stories about love, loss, sexuality, and survival through the eyes of women who have lost love.

Bitter yet beautiful—these tales explore sorrow and madness. From “A Man Like Water,” about empty days with a formless man, to “Like Ginger Ale,” a night with a nameless lover, “Luke-warm Ramune,” the quiet pain of a fading romance, and “Drinking Bones,” the haunting story of a wife consuming her late husband’s ashes—seven stories in all.

The book traces Chiren Kina’s evolution as a writer, capturing the thrill of love, the anguish of loss, and the pain of swallowing sorrow. A glimpse of ultimate love and madness—sometimes, tasting sorrow is part of life, and it may one day become the very substance that keeps you alive.