A Perfect Day to be Alone

<p><b>*WINNER OF THE AKUTAGAWA PRIZE, Japan's most prestigious literary award, first published when the author was just 24*</b><br><br><b>*A Japanese contemporary classic, perfect for fans of <i>Convenience Store Woman</i>*</b><br><br><b>*A love letter to Tokyo as it can only be seen through the eyes of a young woman setting out in the world*<br></b><i><b><br>It was raining when I arrived at the house. The walls of my room were lined with cat photos, set in fancy frames just below the ceiling.</b></i><br><br>When her mother emigrates to China for work, 21-old Chizu moves in with 71-year-old Ginko, an eccentric distant relative, taking a room in her ramshackle Tokyo home, with its two resident cats and the persistent rattle of passing trains.<br><br>Living their lives in imperfect symmetry, they establish an uneasy alliance, stress tested by Chizu's flashes of youthful spite. As the four seasons pass, Chizu navigates a series of tedious part-time jobs and unsatisfying relationships, before eventually finding her feet and salvaging a fierce independence from her solitude.<br><br><i>A Perfect Day to be Alone</i> is a moving, microscopic examination of loneliness and heartbreak. With flashes of deadpan humour and a keen eye for poignant detail, Aoyama chronicles the painful process of breaking free from the moorings of youth.<br><br><b>Early reader reviews</b><br><br><b>"</b>You will love it. I hope we have more translations from this author ASAP, she is super talented! As is the translator!" <b>*****</b><br><br><b> "</b><i>A Perfect Day to Be Alone</i> by Nanae Aoyama blew me away utterly and completely" <b>*****</b><br><br><b>Translated from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood</b></p>