'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern; author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship; love and loneliness in contemporary Japan Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record; drinks too much; and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time; he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki; a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue; an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft; but as their friendship flourishes; social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue's dark secret is revealed; with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time; Durian Sukegawa's beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.