The Professor had been a brilliant mathematician but he was in a horrific accident that left him with significant brain impact. He can still do his beloved math but he only has eighty minutes of short-term memory. That means he will forget who she is and she will have to tell him every day. He rarely talks preferring to work all day in his study on mathematical puzzles and competitions.
The two reach a satisfactory way of existing together. When the Professor finds out the Housekeeper has a son, he insists that the son come to his house after school every day instead of being on his own. He gives the boy a nickname, Root, for the equation of Pi and soon he starts to build a relationship with the boy and then the Housekeeper. She gains from him as well as she starts to expand her own mind and learn more about the math he loves so that she can relate to him. They all share a love of baseball as well which brings them even closer.
Yoko Ogawa is a Japanese author who has won every Japanese literary award and written more than twenty books. Her work has gained praise and awards elsewhere as well. It has been listed for the International Booker Prize and won the American Book Award and the Shirley Jackson prize. In this gentle book, the reader sees how the relationship grows between the three individuals and how each enriches the lives of the others. Although the Professor's injury and resulting damage will never improve, he can still live a life that is meaningful and that gives to others. The Housekeeper learns that although she had to leave her education early, she is capable of learning and can do that anywhere. This book is recommended for literary fiction readers and those interested in other cultures.
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