“Diary of a Flower Shop” is a novel set in a flower shop. The relationship between the part-time employee at the flower shop and the various customers who come to buy flowers is meticulously portrayed.
Author Yamaguchi Shizuka is a female writer receiving attention, having won the Best Novel award in 2012 with the work "Alone". The author's favorite thing is the way he expresses the innocence of young people with affection.
In "Flower Shop Diary", the main character (uncle 1) is Yuu, 17 years old, neither going to school nor working. Yuu, who was not interested in anything, started working part-time at a small flower shop. There, one by one, slightly unusual guests appeared: an old lady who came every day to buy the same flower, an elementary school student who wanted to exchange his game console for flowers... Everyone said they wanted Yuu to help them choose flowers. Confused, Yuu then asked the customer about the situation: why did he want to buy that flower, who was the flower for...
While chatting with guests, Yuu begins to think about many things — the importance of human relationships, the meaning of going to work — and gradually changes. The image of Yuu, who once lived days without any joy, becoming brighter and stronger through working and helping others, will ②give strength to readers. That is also the encouragement (note 2) that the author sends to readers. In addition, the book introduces many flower names and their meanings (note 3), so you will have more useful knowledge when you want to give flowers to someone.
This is a book that makes you love people and feel healthy again. Read it when you're a little tired of relationships or when you haven't found your goal. I really hope people of Yuu's age will read it.
(note 1) 主人公: central character of the novel. (note 2) エール: cheers for athletes during matches. (note 3) 花言葉: meaning is attached to each flower, for example rose is "love".