Muriel Barbery crafts a moving tale of emotional awakening and blossoming love, set among the vivid colours and mesmerising scenery of Kyoto - Woman's Own

[A] multi-layered novel of self-discovery, grounded in richly evoked landscapes and experiences . . . An enjoyable, immersive read - The Lady

Barbery sows beauty on every page - Elle

Rich with atmosphere and character and drawing on themes of grief and second chances, this is a delicate delight - Living Magazine

Delightful, engaging . . . this novel offers the pleasures of a poetic travelogue and an homage to a place and a culture - New York Journal of Books

'A lyrical and opaque story - Publishers Weekly

An immensely calming novel, so superbly written it deserves to be savoured slowly - Le Parisien

A fascinating maze of emotional release - Foreword Reviews

A moving, accomplished novel ... thoughtful, ethereal and inspired - L’Obs

An ode to Japan . . . a magnificent, resonant, finely crafted novel - Le Monde

An incredible hymn to the power of changing direction - La Grande Librairie, France 5

A small miracle - Lire

Muriel Barbery is the author of four previous novels, including the IMPAC-shortlisted multimillion-copy bestseller The Elegance of the Hedgehog. She has lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam and Paris and now lives in the French countryside.