Takaka’s life is in disarray after an abrupt end to her relationship, when her boyfriend betrays her to marry someone else. When she is reluctant to face the harsh reality of her situation, she is forced to stay at her uncle Satoru’s cozy little bookshop. Though she is not quite convinced about the idea, she decides to go, only to realise that it was the best decision she ever made.
After sleeping off her initial days at the bookshop locking herself into her room and reeling over her past, she is pulled out by her uncle for a walk in the neighbourhood which starts off her journey towards self-realisation. A simple life over books and coffee, the close-knit neighbourhood, contended life of the people and above all the teetering pile of books around her help her on her gradual transformation. The power of books to teleport oneself and escape from the harsh reality heals Takaka.
The novel presents before us Takaka’s emotional journey through betrayal, heartbreak, healing and self-discovery in the first part. However, the second part shifts its focus to Satoru’s estranged wife Momoko which serves as a distraction to an otherwise breezy novel.
Despite the shortcomings in the latter half, the ambience the novel paints before us about the bookstore and the neighbourhood is one world every avid book reader will wish to be part of.
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