Escaping Daily Life

The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami is a poignant contemporary Japanese fiction offering which I enjoyed.

We meet the inhabitants of the Nakano Thrift shop – Mr Nakano, his two assistants and his sister. The action is told in the first person through the eyes of the young female assistant, Hitomi. She is perceptive in her observations as we hear about her daily life.

We meet a few regulars, as well as accompanying some of the collection runs.

This is a gentle story as Hitomi is a gentle woman. We witness her growing attraction to her co-worker. Her trusting nature is sometimes taken advantage of.

I enjoyed The Nakano Thrift Shop. It is a soothing read of a quieter nature, allowing the reader to escape for a few hours.

JULIA WILSON