Million-copy bestselling winner of the Japan Booksellers Award, selected by bookshop staff as the book they most wanted to hand-sell: A tender and uplifting novel for fans of A WHOLE LIFE by Robert Seethaler.
''A mesmerising reading experience for all of us seeking a meaningful life' Japan Times

What he experienced that day wasn't life-changing . . . It was life-making.

Tomura is startled by the hypnotic sound of a piano being tuned in his school. It seeps into his soul and transports him to the forests, dark and gleaming, that surround his beloved mountain village. From that moment, he is determined to discover more.

Under the tutelage of three master piano-tuners - one humble, one cheery, one ill-tempered - Tomura embarks on his training, never straying too far from a single, unfathomable question: do I have what it takes?

Set in small-town Japan, this warm and mystical story is for the lucky few who have found their calling - and for the rest of us who are still searching. It shows that the road to finding one's purpose is a winding path, often filled with treacherous doubts and, for those who persevere, astonishing moments of revelation.

Contains 5 exquisite hand-drawn illustrations]

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

'Everything about this book is just perfect. A compassionate novel that encourages us to be the best version of ourselves''A beautiful ode to pianos that brought me back to my childhood. Will no doubt speak to more than just piano enthusiasts'

'Most readers will find it impossible to read the last page without feeling a little uplifted, without a smile on the face'

'Natsua Miyashita has given us an instrument on which to play our own tunes'

'A gem of a novel'

'Thoroughly enjoyable, with beautiful cover artwork'

'A rich, rewarding reading experience'

'A reading experience not to be missed'

Lonely Castle in the Mirror: The no. 1 Japanese bestseller and Guardian 2021 highlight