The Dilemmas of Working Women

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What to expect

The classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time - a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women

'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern
'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of Not Working
'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as This

Izumi needs to get a job.
Haruka needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer.
Katō needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed.
Mito needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him.
Sumie just needs somewhere to live.

In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight.

Critics Review

Off-beat, witty, wise and thought-provoking, these darkly comic stories portray five unique women as they deal with the societal pressures that come with being a woman in their world
Cecelia Ahern
What an engaging, witty, and unique book. So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later. What a win for the English language that we're finally getting to experience Yamamoto's inimitable voice
Roxy Dunn, author of As Young as This
An offbeat, bold and subversive portrait of contemporary womanhood, full of brilliantly unconventional characters. The Dilemmas of Working Women crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence
Lisa Owens, author of Not Working
The Dilemmas of Working Women is a delight. With acute insight and sly humour, Fumio Yamamoto depicts the lives of modern Japanese women in all their complexity. The characters, in their quirky idiosyncrasies, are deeply familiar; their stoicisms heartbreaking
Yoon Choi, author of Skinship
Here are people caught between loss and regeneration. The struggles of their forlorn hearts are depicted with a light, graceful touch. There will come a point in all of our lives when we will need Fumio Yamamoto's writing
Saou Ichikawa, author of Hunchback
An audacious five-story collection populated by women bluntly eschewing expectations ... Yamamoto's empathic characters - even a quarter-century after their debut - remain timeless figures of strength and resilience
Shelf Awareness
This award-winning best-seller captures the modern woman in a dark, unflinching portrait
Booklist
Funny, at times self-deprecating, and unafraid to lean into the darkness, Fumio Yamamoto's masterpiece is sure to find resonance with readers today
Chicago Review of Books
Now offered in translation for the first time, this collection featuring women navigating societal expectations (and their small rebellions) is a classic. The author brings complexity, emotion, and a delicate touch to extremely relatable characters.
Boston Globe

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