A Day for Bread, Soup and Cats

The Japanese bestseller, translated by Shanna Tan, translator of the bestselling sensation Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

'Cooking can't be measured in hours or minutes,' Sensei had told her... 'You cook with the five senses: by looking, listening, smelling...'

When Akiko's mother unexpectedly dies, she's forced to rethink certain aspects of her life. A senior editor at a glamorous publishing house, she quits her job and moves back to her hometown. There, she's committed to revamping her late mother's well-loved izakaya into a café that offers simple and delectable food: a daily menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and small bowls of fruit.

With a stray cat called Taro, her kind and hardworking kitchen helper Shima-chan, and a group of friendly neighbours, Akiko embarks on a new journey and slowly reconciles with her unusual upbringing and complicated memories from her past.

Written in simple and elegant prose, A Day for Bread, Soup, and Cats is a moving novel about grief, love, loneliness, and the healing power of a good meal shared.