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Synopsis
Each morning, the Professor and the Housekeeper are introduced to one another. The Professor may not remember what he had for breakfast, but his mind is still alive with elegant mathematical equations from the past. He devises clever maths riddles - based on her shoe size or her birthday - and the numbers reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her ten-year-old son. With each new equation, the three lost souls forge an affection more mysterious than imaginary numbers, and a bond that runs deeper than memory. (Source: Penguin Books)
Background
Hakase no Aishita Suushiki was a besteller upon release, selling one million copies within two months, and received the inaugural Hon'ya Taisho award, an award based on votes by bookstore clerks from all over Japan. It was adapted to a manga series which debuted in December 2005, a live-action film in January 2006, and a radio play in March 2006. The novel was first published in English as The Housekeeper and the Professor by Picador on February 3, 2009.