The Bookshop Woman

‘An irresistible treat for all bibliophiles’ Waterstones

THE BOOKSHOP WOMAN IS A LOVE STORY, A LOVE STORY ABOUT BOOKS

Nanako Hanada’s life has not just flatlined, it’s hit rock bottom… Recently separated from her husband, she is living between 4-hour capsule hostels, pokey internet cafes and bookshop floors. Her work is going no better – sales at the eccentric Village Vanguard bookstore in Tokyo, which Nanako manages, are dwindling. As Nanako’s life falls apart, reading books is the only thing keeping her alive.

That’s until Nanako joins an online meet-up site which offers 30 minutes with someone you’ll never see again. Describing herself as a sexy bookseller she offers strangers ‘the book that will change their life’ in exchange for a meeting. In the year that follows, Nanako meets hundreds of people, some of whom want more than just a book…

Acerbic and self-knowing, The Bookshop Woman is a soul-soothing story of a bookseller’s self-discovery and an ode to the joy of reading. Offering a glimpse into bookselling in Japan and the quirky side of Tokyo and its people, this is a story of how books can help us forge connection with others and lead us to ourselves.

This is a story about the beauty of climbing into a book, free diving into its pages, and then resurfacing on the last page, ready to breathe a different kind of air…

‘I’d say this fits the healing “fiction” kind of genre, but it’s even better’
Amazon review

‘It’s such a beautiful ode to the power of books’
Amazon review

‘I found it really hard to put down and could have finished it in one sitting. I was dying to find out who she was going to meet next!’
Goodreads review

‘The Bookshop Woman was totally unexpected and led me to realize certain truths about my own self as I followed Nanako questioning what was most important to her’
Goodreads review

Bestseller in Japan in April 2018.