Description

‘Witty, wise and thought-provoking’ Cecelia Ahern
‘Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence’ Lisa Owens, author of Not Working
‘So brilliantly written’ Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as This
‘[Will] rattle your heart and brain’ Dakota Johnson

Izumi needs to get a job.
Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer.
Kato needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed.
Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend – or marry him.
Sumie just needs somewhere to live.

Publisher Review

Off-beat, witty, wise and thought-provoking, these darkly comic stories portray five unique women as they deal with the societal pressures that come with being a woman in their world — Cecelia Ahern What an engaging, witty, and unique book. So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later. What a win for the English language that we’re finally getting to experience Yamamoto’s inimitable voice — Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as This An offbeat, bold and subversive portrait of contemporary womanhood, full of brilliantly unconventional characters. The Dilemmas of Working Women crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence — Lisa Owens, author of Not Working The Dilemmas of Working Women is a delight. With acute insight and sly humour, Fumio Yamamoto depicts the lives of modern Japanese women in all their complexity. The characters, in their quirky idiosyncrasies, are deeply familiar; their stoicisms heartbreaking — Yoon Choi, author of Skinship Here are people caught between loss and regeneration. The struggles of their forlorn hearts are depicted with a light, graceful touch. There will come a point in all of our lives when we will need Fumio Yamamoto’s writing — Saou Ichikawa, author of Hunchback An audacious five-story collection populated by women bluntly eschewing expectations … Yamamoto’s empathic characters – even a quarter-century after their debut – remain timeless figures of strength and resilience * Shelf Awareness * This award-winning best-seller captures the modern woman in a dark, unflinching portrait * Booklist * Funny, at times self-deprecating, and unafraid to lean into the darkness, Fumio Yamamoto’s masterpiece is sure to find resonance with readers today * Chicago Review of Books * Now offered in translation for the first time, this collection featuring women navigating societal expectations (and their small rebellions) is a classic. The author brings complexity, emotion, and a delicate touch to extremely relatable characters. * Boston Globe *