I really don’t have an understanding of Maths but there is something intriguing about the application of numbers to solve formula. Acclaimed Japanese author Yoko Ogawa, in her most recent English-translated book The Housekeeper and the Professor, highlights the magic of numbers.

The story is set in a Japanese city in 1992, a housekeeper is given the assignment of caring for an aging maths professor who due to a car accident in 1975 has lost much of his memory and only retains 80 minutes’ worth at one given time. The housekeeper brings her ten-year-old son along and the professor names the boy Root. As a way of remembering what is relevant to him, the Professor pins notes on his suit to fill in his memory gaps; the housekeeper and Root reacquaint themselves every day.

The author managers to weave a story of relationships, trust and memory in a way that is reminiscent of Banana Yoshimoto and W.G. Sebald. Her sparse use of words heightens the emotional content. A quietly powerful novel.