'The interlinking short stories in this collection are fairy tales in the best Brothers Grimm
tradition: naïf magical and frequently veering into the macabre' Financial Times From the
best-selling author of Strange Weather in Tokyo here is a collection of darkly playful
Japanese micro-fiction. In Kawakami's super short 'palm of the hand' stories the world is
never quite as it should be: a small child lives under a sheet near his neighbour's house for
thirty years an apartment block leaves its visitors with strange afflictions from
fast-growing beards to an ability to channel the voices of the dead an old man has two shadows
one docile the other rebellious two girls named Yoko are locked in a bitter rivalry to the
death. Small but mighty you'll find strange delight in spending time with the people in
this neighbourhood. 'Offers a delicious combination of intrigue magic and comedy like an
unusual but satisfying snack. Kawakami continues to show off her prowess as a sharp-witted
writer with a keen eye for the unexplored mysteries of humanity' Japan Times
