THE EMOTIONAL AND LIFE-AFFIRMING NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP, TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE BY ERIC OZAWA
In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jinbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart's delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases.
The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out.
For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jinbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bonds.
As a sign of gratitude, Takako gives her aunt and uncle a trip, promising to look after the shop while they are away. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then why is Satoru behaving so strangely? And what does that woman with the red umbrella want who has appeared at the end of the street? How many other stories, emotions, and treasures does the Morisaki bookshop hold?
Loved by thousands of readers worldwide, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a story of hope, friendship and the healing power of books. Will we see you in the bookshop this summer?
PRAISE FOR DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP:
'Brims with genuine charm . . . evokes powerful feelings that any book lover will recognize' Japan Times
'Ozawa's translation gracefully captures the author's whimsical and tender voice. Yagisawa has the right touch for lifting a reader's mood' Publishers Weekly
'Readers will want to linger in this world' Booklist
'A familiar romance about books and bookstores, told with heart and humor' Kirkus
'A slender book, but one rich in experience, exactly like the tiny, crammed Morisaki bookshop itself' New York Journal of Books
In this charming and emotionally resonant sequel to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant portrait of life, family, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them.
Set again in the beloved Japanese bookshop in the Jimbocho neighbourhood of Toyko, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop deepens the relationship between Takako, her uncle Satoru and the people in their lives. A new cast of regulars have appeared in the shop, including an old man who wears the same ragged mouse-coloured sweater and another who collects books solely for the official stamps with the author's personal seal.
As time passes, Satoru, with Takako's help, must choose whether to keep the bookshop open or shutter its doors forever. Making the decision will take uncle and niece on an emotional journey back to their family's roots and remind them again what a bookstore can mean to an individual, a neighbourhood, and a whole culture.
