For ages, the shores of the Marina beach has served as a vast sanctuary for the city's homeless. Japan, fondly known to this shore as Jappa, grew up in its salty shadow. This book is more than the coming-of-age of an eighteen-year-old. It is a raw, timeless chronicle of the struggles that arise from his relationship with Kannagi, a sex worker who is a year older than him. This novel is an important attempt to bridge the gap between screenwriting and literary fiction.