My initial thoughts on Convenience Store Women were a little unsure to middling. Keiko the main character is 36, *still* working in a convenience store that she joined whilst at university, *still* unmarried, and worse, is content with this. This doesn’t meld well with the very Japanese societal and family pressure to succeed!
The story follows the turns Keiko’s life takes when a new coworker starts working at the store. Someone else who fails to meet the standards of society.
For the most part, this is an easy read. On the surface, we’re just seeing the world from Keiko’s point of view, but through her eyes we get a glimpse of the culture and expectations of life in Japan.