One of the great things about moving to a new culture is that you can explore the area via books. The Singapore library has a great collection of Japanese authors in addition to the usual favorites. I picked this book on a whim and enjoyed it.

Two women – Sayoko – a mother shy and struggling to fit in with a rather disinterested husband and a mother-in-law who is finding fault forever gets back into the workforce. She cleans homes and forges an unlikely friendship with the owner of the firm – Aoi she works in.

The books talks about Aoi’s past – her childhood, bullying and struggling to fit in school, her friendship with Nanako, her brush with death and how these incidences play a part in who she is today. Sayako’s present and Aoi’s past meet and they forge a friendship.

It is a story about accepting who you are and who your friends are – simply said and well written.