From the author of Strange Weather in Tokyo comes this funny,
heartwarming story about love, life, and human relationships that
features a delightfully offbeat cast of characters.
Objects for sale at the Nakano Thrift Shop appear as commonplace as the
staff and customers that handle them. But like those same customers and
staff, they hold many secrets. If examined carefully, they show the
signs of innumerable extravagancies, of immeasurable pleasure and pain,
and of the deep mysteries of the human heart.
Hitomi, the inexperienced young woman who works the register at Mr.
Nakano's thrift shop, has fallen for her coworker, the oddly reserved
Takeo. Unsure of how to attract his attention, she seeks advice from her
employer's sister, Masayo, whose sentimental entanglements make her a
somewhat unconventional guide. But thanks in part to Masayo, Hitomi will
come to realize that love, desire, and intimacy require acceptance not
only of idiosyncrasies but also of the delicate waltz between open and
hidden secrets.
Animating each delicately rendered chapter in Kawakami's playful novel
is Mr. Nakano himself, an original, entertaining, and enigmatic creation
whose compulsive mannerisms, secretive love life, and impulsive behavior
defy all expectations.
