February 2009 Indie Next List

“Set in Japan, Yoko Ogawa's novel tells the story of a housekeeper and her son, and how they are drawn into the world of a brilliant professor of mathematics with severe memory impairment. A beautiful, tender novel.”
— Lisa Stefanacci, The Book Works, Del Mar, CA

Fall '09/Winter '10 Reading Group List

“A young, single mother is dispatched by her agency as the tenth housekeeper to try to meet the unusual demands of tending house for a mathematics professor who's suffered a serious brain injury. She not only manages to meet the challenge, but she discovers a beautiful new world for herself and her son through their unique relationship with this extraordinary man. A very tender and absolutely delightful story!”
— Linda Findlay, University Book Store, Seattle, WA