A surreal and funny novel about River, a paper sculptor from Hawaii. Living in a snowstruck farmhouse in Japan with his young son, River is assaulted by a karakuri (ancient Japanese robot-doll) in the same 24 hours he discovers a disturbing message written in the snow by a crow near his sculpture studio. Feeling that he needs to take control of his mind and sure that the answer is to recapture love with his son's estranged mother, River makes a sudden journey back to the islands. What he finds there are three pot-smoking paper crows -- the creations of his own hands -- not-so-quietly taking control of his soul. "It's your mind, we're only here to help," they swear. All the while falling more in love with these three paper crows, River sinks steadily deeper into a struggle for his own last breath. "Your next life will be better, in just a few seconds," the crows promise.