In Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, a young man "on the spectrum" meets and falls in love with a "typical" woman who complements his amusing yet poignant idiosyncrasies. I loved the book, and recommended it far and wide.
The convenience store woman, Keiko, is also somewhere on the spectrum. Her loving family has never known how to help her, but when she lands a full-time job at a neighborhood convenience store, stocking shelves and greeting customers according to the company's cheery stock phrases, her life seems to take a positive turn. She loves her job and feels adrift when she's away from work. But Keiko's life shifts again when a moody, disaffected young man takes a job at the store. Will Keiko grow and change in response? Is a happy ending possible?
Just as funny in its way as The Rosie Project, but far darker in tone and outlook, Murata's novel felt extremely realistic psychologically. Insightful, sad, and recommended.
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