Beautiful Distance

An unnamed narrator sits in a cafe overlooking a train station, sipping a green juice and people-watching. A small white butterfly flutters through the air; a calico cat jumps onto a wall; cherry blossom petals fall, softly, to the ground. Life stands still for one moment. He is preparing to visit his terminally ill wife in hospital. So begins this moving novel exploring the distance between people, places and memories in simple and elegant prose, as Yamazaki raises questions around what family means, how we think about death, and how we express love; particularly in a society where work is often prioritised.