With Shimamoto never giving any detail as to her own life and appearing only at random intervals, she haunts him as a constant 'What if'. They are reunited again at the age of 36, Hajime now the father of two children and owner of two successful jazz bars in Aoyama, the trendy part of Tokyo. Eventually, they join different high schools and grow apart. They spend most of their time together talking about their interests in life and listening to records on Shimamoto's stereo. Here he meets a girl, Shimamoto, who is also an only child and suffers from polio, which causes her to drag her leg as she walks. ***'The novel tells the story of Hajime, starting from his childhood in a small town in Japan.

The dustwrapper would be near fine except for a small chip at the top of the spine. The top and tail of the dustwrapper are slightly creased. ***In a very good printed dustwrapper, that has not been price-clipped, retaining the original publisher's printed price of $22.00. Internally near fine, with no tears or creases, and the paper still white. Head and tail of spine slightly creased, and at the top edge of the back board near the spine. ***Near fine in black cloth-covered boards with metallic-red titles to the spine. ***The American edition is the first edition in English, originally published in Japan by Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo in 1992 as 'Kokky? no Minami, Taiy? no Nishi'. Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel. First impression of the first American edition.

The wind up bird chronicle synopsis