- OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD IN JAPAN- WINNER OF THE NAOKI PRIZE AND THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS'
AWARD- A MAJOR MOVIE RELEASE IN JAPANThe Night Circus meets Lonely Castle in the Mirror in this
multi-awardwinning Japanese bestseller available finally in an English translation by Philip
Gabriel a translator of Murakami 'A thrilling and often nail-biting depiction of music
friendship and personal demons' Observer 'Propulsive and poetic' Kirkus Reviews 'Deeply
moving. The now-ness of Onda's writing left me more than once with a big goofy grin on my face
or tears on my cheeks' Associated Press ______________________ Welcome to a magical world of
music friendship and rivalry ... In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo a
prestigious piano competition is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks three friends
will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they
don't know it yet each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others for ever. Aya was
a piano genius until she ran away from the stage and vanished will the tall and talented
Makun bring her back? Or will it be child of nature Jin a pianist without a piano who
carries the sound of his father's bees wherever he goes? Each of them will break the rules awe
their fans and push themselves to the brink. But at what cost? Tender cruel compelling
HONEYBEES AND DISTANT THUNDER is the unflinching story of love courage and rivalry. Most of
all it shows how three young people reconcile with the highs and lows of what it means to
truly be a friend. Japanese readers love HONEYBEES AND DISTANT THUNDER: - 'The novel is a
masterpiece'*****' - 'Each contestant was wonderfully drawn and I felt very moved'***** - 'I
felt like I was right there and there were scenes that brought me to tears'***** - 'This is a
beyond a reading experience. It felt like some sixth sense was at work. Wonderful'***** NB:
Some text from the original Japanese displaying the concert programme and competition rules has
been omitted from the translation and is due to be reinserted.
