This is a story for those who love reading about food and books.
Otohu dreams of working with books. After resigning from her exhausting bookstore job, she receives a mysterious offer from someone calling themselves ‘Seven Rainbows’ to work in The Night Library, which opens only at night.
Mr Sasai, the aloof but friendly manager, shows her around. The books are precious – collections of deceased authors, found nowhere else. They want genuinely interested readers, so they charge an admission fee and books cannot be borrowed.
Otohu wants to meet the owner, but Sasai says none of the staff has ever met them, and investigating their identity will lead to no good. This is the first mystery. All the staff love working with the books.
In each episode, one person explains why they work at the Night Library. They have found comfort and peace there. Harada draws their characters so sensitively that it is intriguing to follow their journeys.
One staff member, a legendary chef, cooks a meal each night linked to one of the books. The staff carefully code and stamp each book before shelving it. When unstamped books keep appearing, it leads them to someone with a peculiar reason for doing so. When the owner decides to temporarily close the library, Otoha and her friends fear losing the cosy peace they find there.
The connection between food and literature appeals as I love making meals described in books. This is a gentle read, where Japanese culture permeates quietly and care for the characters and mysteries keeps you reading.
Reviewed by Judith Grace
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born 1970 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Harada won the 34th NHK Creative Radio Drama Grand Prix in 2005 for Little Princess No. 2.
In 2007, she won the 31st Subaru Literary Award for The Teatime That Doesn’t Start. Her novel How to Use 3000 Yen won the Miyazaki Book Award.
Her other books include The Hotel For Elders, The Purse Dances, The Secondhand Bookstore Diner, Kiriko’s Crime Diary, ‘The Lunch Sake’ series, ‘The Three Sisters Bistro’ series, First Eat This, Recipes For Delicious Mouthfuls, Zatsu the Set-meal Restaurant, Monthly Income and many more.
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