On the death of her grandmother, young Hatoko returns to Kamakura from abroad to take over her stationery store, which also offers public letter-writing services. It was the "Elder" who had taught her the difficult and traditional art of calligraphy. But the transmission had been so rigorous and intense that, as a teenager, Hatoko had rebelled... With tact and delicacy, she now fulfills her mission by satisfying the slightest epistolary wish of her customers, such as a letter of condolence or a divorce announcement. Every detail is carefully considered by the young woman: the choice of paper, the typeface, the envelope - even the stamp! Little by little, this activity, which she had thought obsolete, enables her to regain a taste for life. Ito Ogawa has written a contemplative novel that soothes and charms us with its timeless refinement