The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa is an elegant and restrained novel about a Mathematics Professor who has suffered a head injury and retains only 80 minutes of memory. Every 80 minutes he starts again completely from scratch, and remembers only what is written on notes he keeps pinned to his suit. He forms an unlikely, yet touching friendship with his housekeeper and her son.

This is a beautifully told tale full of the magic of numbers and equations that can lead to the most unexpected revelations. A truly original book. Ogawa is an accomplished writer. I loved this book, and it will stay with me for a long time.

Highly recommended