This international bestseller is the true story of a devoted book lover who finds connection in the vast sea of Tokyo by recommending to strangers the book that will change their lives.
“I'm the manager of a very unusual bookshop. I have over ten thousand books in my vast memory bank, and I'll recommend the perfect one for you.”
Nanako Hanada is a passionate book lover who manages the Village Vanguard, an iconically eccentric bookstore in Tokyo. But her story takes a turn with the breakdown of her marriage. Spending her nights alone in Tokyo's four-hour capsules, she’s finding herself rather isolated. That's until Nanako finds the meet-up site Perfect Strangers.
Perfect Strangers isn’t a dating site—it’s where people meet for thirty-minute bursts to find friendship or romance, build a network, or just share ideas. She sets up her profile promising to recommend people “the book that will change their life.” In the ensuing year, Nanako meets hundreds of people, a ragtag range of strangers who happen to believe in the power of a great book. Soon she discovers that she can connect with just about anyone, and bustling Tokyo begins to feel like a welcoming—if a bit quirky—small town.
Written with comforting humor and populated by a delightful cast of Tokyo-ites, The Bookshop Woman is a soul-stirring book about a bookseller's self-discovery. Here she shares what every bookseller knows: Books can be joyful paths toward meaningful connections.
“Perhaps even more joyful than reading a great book is the feeling that comes with putting that same book into someone else’s hands. The singular pleasure of recommending books is at the heart of The Bookshop Woman, a delightful romp and true story of how books forge friendship and community. If only we could all be so lucky to have a Bookshop Woman in our lives.” —Evan Friss, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop
Nanako Hanada is a bookseller in Tokyo. Her first book, The Bookshop Woman, was an unexpected global bestseller, and has since been adapted into a TV drama. The royalties allowed Nanako to open her own bookshop called Kani Books.
View titles by Nanako Hanada
This international bestseller is the true story of a devoted book lover who finds connection in the vast sea of Tokyo by recommending to strangers the book that will change their lives.
“I'm the manager of a very unusual bookshop. I have over ten thousand books in my vast memory bank, and I'll recommend the perfect one for you.”
Nanako Hanada is a passionate book lover who manages the Village Vanguard, an iconically eccentric bookstore in Tokyo. But her story takes a turn with the breakdown of her marriage. Spending her nights alone in Tokyo's four-hour capsules, she’s finding herself rather isolated. That's until Nanako finds the meet-up site Perfect Strangers.
Perfect Strangers isn’t a dating site—it’s where people meet for thirty-minute bursts to find friendship or romance, build a network, or just share ideas. She sets up her profile promising to recommend people “the book that will change their life.” In the ensuing year, Nanako meets hundreds of people, a ragtag range of strangers who happen to believe in the power of a great book. Soon she discovers that she can connect with just about anyone, and bustling Tokyo begins to feel like a welcoming—if a bit quirky—small town.
Written with comforting humor and populated by a delightful cast of Tokyo-ites, The Bookshop Woman is a soul-stirring book about a bookseller's self-discovery. Here she shares what every bookseller knows: Books can be joyful paths toward meaningful connections.
Reviews
“Perhaps even more joyful than reading a great book is the feeling that comes with putting that same book into someone else’s hands. The singular pleasure of recommending books is at the heart of The Bookshop Woman, a delightful romp and true story of how books forge friendship and community. If only we could all be so lucky to have a Bookshop Woman in our lives.” —Evan Friss, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop
Author
Nanako Hanada is a bookseller in Tokyo. Her first book, The Bookshop Woman, was an unexpected global bestseller, and has since been adapted into a TV drama. The royalties allowed Nanako to open her own bookshop called Kani Books.
View titles by Nanako Hanada
