“Disclaimer: there is a lot of math in this book, and because I practically break out in hives just balancing my checkbook I almost passed this book over; I’m so happy I didn’t. Set in Japan, the Housekeeper goes to work for the Professor, a brilliant mathematician who, due to a car accident, has a memory span of just 80 minutes. Because of the brain injury the Professor has rather limited social skills, and his preferred method of communication is through numbers. Initially, the Housekeeper is overwhelmed by the Professor’s obsession with math and order, but soon she is seeing numeric patterns everywhere and finding in herself a talent she didn’t know she possessed. In return she, along with her young son, help the Professor break out of his shell through a shared love of baseball. Over the course of the story, the trio develops a bond  that is both profound and humorous. Ogawa is a careful, sensitive writer who makes the characters come alive.” —Kate, Ravenna Third Place, Seattle