�'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of�P.S. I Love YouA charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary JapanIf you enjoyed We'll Prescribe You a Cat or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, you'll love Sweet Bean PasteSentaro has failed. He has a criminal record,�drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a�writer is just a distant memory. With only the�blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the�passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of�pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman�with disfigured hands and a troubled past.�Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste�Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to�teach him her craft, but as their friendship�flourishes, social pressures become impossible�to escape and Tokue's dark secret is revealed,with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the�burden of the past and the redemptive power�of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa's beautiful prose�is capturing hearts all over the world.
