The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami

Among the jumble of paperweights, plates, typewriters and general bric-a-brac in Mr Nakano's thrift store, there are treasures to be found. Each piece carries its own story of love and loss - or so it seems to Hitomi, when she takes a job there working behind the till. Nor are her fellow employees any less curious or weatherworn than the items they sell. There's the store's owner, Mr Nakano, an enigmatic ladies' man with several ex-wives; Sakiko, his sensuous, unreadable lover; his sister, Masayo, an artist whose free-spirited creations mask hidden sorrows. And finally there's Hitomi's fellow employee, Takeo, whose abrupt and taciturn manner Hitomi finds, to her consternation, increasingly disarming. A beguiling story of love found amid odds and ends, The Nakano Thrift Shop is a heart-warming and utterly charming novel from one of Japan's most celebrated contemporary novelists.

What's it about?

A girl works in a thrift shop. There are people. Things happen.

What is it?

A gentle book - verging close to a short story collection - about small events and the disparate characters whose lives intersect at the Nakano thrift shop. Heart-warming is exactly right.

What isn't it?

A fast-paced story. Like a lot of Japanese fiction, this doesn't follow the Western structure of storytelling. Not one for those looking for a page-turning plot.

Why do you recommend it?

Because it's one of those quiet books which reward taking time to spend with it. If you like your books with a little more plot, this won't be for you, but if you like contemporary Japanese fiction, you should definitely familiarise yourself with Hiromi Kawakami.

Like this? Try:

Strange Weather in Tokyo - Hiromi Kawakami

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