A young woman, grieving a relationship that ended quite callously, finds solace in a family bookstore in Tokyo. While this is the quick summary of this book, it really offers so much more. It is about love, relationships and family. it is about the stories we tell ourselves, the community we find or build and the power of having someone believe in you.

Takako’s life spins out of control the day she learns from her boyfriend, Hideaki, that he is marrying another woman. He hopes, he says, that he and Takako can remain friends ‘with benefits.” Reeling from this news and the dreams she had of marrying Hideaki herself, Takako falls into a deep depression and no longer able to work, she quits her job. A few weeks later she gets a call from her distant uncle, Satoru. He runs a second hand bookstore in the book district in Tokyo and needs someone to manage the store while he attends to other business. Reluctantly Takako agrees. Her uncle has always been strange and unconventional, but she is quickly running through her savings, so free room and board in exchange for minding the shop seems like a good deal.

Slowly Takako begins to shed her grief and finds the bookstore full of wonderful books. She begins to read, finds a nearby coffeeshop where she can hang out and begins to make friends in the neighborhood and with the regular customers who come to the store. As she comes out of her depression, Takako realizes that her uncle Satoru has also been going through his own heartbreak when his wife, Momoko, abruptly left him five years earlier. So when both Momoko and Hideaki suddenly reappear in their lives Satoru and Takako must each determine how to move forward and what it means to love.

Although this book is under 200 pages it is full of wisdom and charm. Yagisawa has created these lovely quirky characters and Ozawa has done a remarkable job in translating the nuances of understatement that permeate Japanese literature and culture. If you want something to read in one sitting, or just need a “pick me up” that restores your faith in humanity this is the book for you!

Brenda’s Rating: ***** (5 Out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Marian, Lauren, Sharon, Keith and Ken.

Book Study Worthy? Yes, but it should be held at a coffee shop!

Read in e-library format.