A Day for Bread, Soup and Cats

'Cooking can't be measured in hours or minutes. The ingredients are in front of you, but you need to carefully consider how to use them, how they complement each other. So it's also important to cook with your heart.'

On a quiet neighbourhood shopping street the new café waits to open, still smelling of fresh paint.

After her mother's death, Akiko quits her corporate job and transforms her beloved izakaya into a café. With a simple, nourishing menu of homemade bread and soup, Akiko wants to provide her customers with a slice of peace - or of delicious cake.

But it wasn't always this way. When Akiko's mother was alive the café was rowdy and well-loved, always busy with familiar patrons, gossip and secrets.

As she settles into her new life, honouring her mother's legacy brings up complicated memories for Akiko. But with a stray tabby cat and a helpful new employee by her side, she will discover the healing power of a good meal shared with friends.

Heart-warming and beautifully written, A Day for Bread, Soup and Cats is a much-loved Japanese bestseller.

Translated by Shanna Tan