A worldwide sensation, this oddball Japanese novel shines with a surreal beauty, much like its protagonist. Keiko is a woman who has never fit in anywhere in life until she finds a job in a convenience store, leading a seemingly mundane life that is devoid of ambition. As her family tries to push their strange daughter towards a life of normalcy, a love story of sorts emerges, as odd as we can expect it, but what remains the focus on the novel is a redefinition of contentment and a questioning of what exactly constitutes “normal”.