A Perfect Day to Be Alone

“A young woman spends a year adrift in Aoyama’s elegant English-language debut…Aoyama adeptly conveys Chizu’s loneliness and how her unvoiced emotions drive her attempts to pull others into her misery. The result is a notable tale of arrested development.” —Publishers Weekly

“A slim coming-of-age novel of understated beauty…Kirkwood translates Aoyama’s writing with subdued loveliness.” —Shelf Awareness

“A Perfect Day to Be Alone feels more true to life than most such first-steps-into-adulthood novels…a satisfying little melancholy tale.” —Complete Review

“Notably translated by Kirkwood, prolific, prize-winning Aoyama’s anglophone debut is a raw examination of contemporary young womanhood that underscores burdensome expectations, disappointing intimacy, and elusive connections.” —Booklist

“Funny and deeply moving…a fitting introduction to the writer, whose tight, understated prose renders the juncture between adolescence and adulthood with humorous authenticity and tender pain.” ―Japan Times

“A moving, poignant, and funny story about loneliness, coming-of-age, and the importance of connection and friendship. Filled with cats, trains, and miso soup, this novella is also a love letter to Tokyo, capturing the essence of youth in all its bittersweet glory.” ―nb. Magazine