Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

A Novel

By: Satoshi Yagisawa

Narrated by: Catherine Ho

The wise and charming international bestseller and hit Japanese movie—about a young woman who loses everything but finds herself—a tale of new beginnings, romantic and family relationships, and the comfort that can be found in books.

Twenty-five-year-old Takako has enjoyed a relatively easy existence—until the day her boyfriend Hideaki, the man she expected to wed, casually announces he’s been cheating on her and is marrying the other woman. Suddenly, Takako’s life is in freefall. She loses her job, her friends, and her acquaintances, and spirals into a deep depression. In the depths of her despair, she receives a call from her distant uncle Satoru.

An unusual man who has always pursued something of an unconventional life, especially after his wife Momoko left him out of the blue five years earlier, Satoru runs a second-hand bookshop in Jimbocho, Tokyo’s famous book district. Takako once looked down upon Satoru’s life. Now, she reluctantly accepts his offer of the tiny room above the bookshop rent-free in exchange for helping out at the store. The move is temporary, until she can get back on her feet. But in the months that follow, Takako surprises herself when she develops a passion for Japanese literature, becomes a regular at a local coffee shop where she makes new friends, and eventually meets a young editor from a nearby publishing house who’s going through his own messy breakup.

But just as she begins to find joy again, Hideaki reappears, forcing Takako to rely once again on her uncle, whose own life has begun to unravel. Together, these seeming opposites work to understand each other and themselves as they continue to share the wisdom they’ve gained in the bookshop.

Translated By Eric Ozawa

Nicely translated. Charming.

Easy listen. Really well performed. Storyline is fun. The narrator does a great job. Recommend for anyone wanting a relaxing read.

Light hearted

Very cute and warm story that shows you everything happens for a reason. Your biggest heartbreak can lead to beautiful things! And sometimes all you need is your family on the way.

Simple story translated from Japanese

I liked the setting and the peek into a culture that I was unfamiliar with. But the descriptions of emotions and the dialogue was pretty simplistic, like a children's story. The language was at times repetitive which I don't think can be blamed entirely on the fact that it was translated from the Japanese. I almost didn't finish it.

A perfect story to calm your mind

This is just what I needed to calm down and remember that life doesn't stop, even at a slow pace. If you're a literature lover just as I am, you will be enchanted by this world of old, musty books. And now I want to visit Jimbocho when I go to Japan. ❤️

It kind of fell flat for me.

My book club bought me brought me here. Shout out to book and bottle St Pete. Something about the story just kind of fell flat for me. I wouldn’t say that I liked it. There wasn’t a whole lot going on. It was just kind of real people doing real things and showed you how prim and proper and formal Japan is.