A light, humorous, amiably peopled, and tender novel about found families, the people who shape our lives, and the complexities of non-traditional family ties.  

Yuko has had four different surnames and been brought up in several families. The parental figures in her life, despite not being related by blood, have always cared deeply for her. Through it all, pragmatic and resilient and Yuko has navigated life’s changes and its occasional conflicts without bitterness, always managing to find a kind of equilibrium.   

As an adult, Yuko falls in love with Hayase, a talented pianist she’s known since her school years. Now a married woman, she embarks on a journey to reconnect with the various parental figures from her past to seek their blessing for her marriage. Along the way, she revisits her former life and the people in it and gains a deeper understanding of what truly defines a family.  

TARGET READERSHIP
- For fans of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, Genki Kawamura’s If Cats Disappeared From the World, Sonoko Machida’s The Convenience Store by the Sea, Durian Sukegawa’s Sweet Bean Paste, Hiromi Kawakami’s Strange Weather in Tokyo, and Hisashi Kashiwai’s The Kamogawa Food Detectives
- Readers of found family novels and intergenerational relationships
- Readers who enjoy rich descriptions of food and cooking

KEY SELLING POINTS
- Maiko Seo is a lauded and popular Japanese author known for her heartwarming books
- Is a bookseller favorite: her novel And So the Baton is Passed won the prestigious Japanese Booksellers’ Award
- Answers the increasingly high demand for cozy and uplifting fiction, fitting right alongside Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Fredrik Backman, and Muriel Barbery
- Excellent book club appeal