Sweet Bean Paste cover art

Sweet Bean Paste

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Sweet Bean Paste

By: Durian Sukegawa, Alison Watts - translator
Narrated by: Cindy Kay
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

A charming tale of friendship, love, and loneliness in contemporary Japan

Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste.

But everything is about to change.

Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue's dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences.

Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa's beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.

©2013, 2015 Durian Sukegawa; English translation copyright 2017 by Alison Watts (P)2022 Tantor Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Miracles of the Namiya General Store cover art
Summer at the Villa Rosa cover art
So You Want to Live the Slow Life? A Guide to Life in the Beastly Wilds, Vol. 1 cover art
There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job cover art
The Pachinko Parlor cover art
The House at Hope Corner cover art
Lily Clairet, Book 1 (Light Novel) cover art
The Letter Reader cover art
A Year at Appleyard Farm cover art
The Herbalist's Secret cover art
The Three Sisters of Victory Walk cover art
The Photographer cover art
The District Nurses of Victory Walk cover art
The Shut-Away Sisters cover art
The Restaurant cover art
The Kindness Project cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
once I started I just could not wait to keep on listening to the story. amazing characters and profound connections

Such a lovely story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Beautiful, poignant story.Translation seemed to capture the elegant original writing. Delightful listening experience, one to keep!

Beautiful, poignant story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved this beautiful little book, the warm sweet feelings made my heart grow! Very sweet but sad.. and beautifully told

Heartwarming story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
very sweet book loved every second makes you think about life in a good way. the audio performance was good too.

very sweet

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I genuinely loved this story so much. A lesson for all about not judging by appearances and that a person's past does not define them.

A lesson for all.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
there was not a single thing i disliked about the story, the narrator or the characters

such a powerful story deliverd i such a gentle way

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This story is a profoundly moving exploration of acceptance, purpose, resilience and deriving value from a life’s existence. Its powerful themes are beautifully brought to life through Cindy Kay's exceptional narration. Her rare talent for conveying deep emotion and skillfully unfolding the narrative transforms an already wonderful tale into an unforgettable experience. Truly captivating from start to finish!

Wonderful story with beautiful narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is an utterly beautiful story. I loved the characters and was moved by them. The writing was exquisitely simple and delightful. The narration was perfect. It is a long time since I have read such a perfect book.

Utterly beautiful entrancing and moving

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
subtle yet provocative beautiful story. the narration was great too. A typical Japanese current and flow in the story. highly recommend.

beautiful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I like that assumptions were questioned throughout, about leprosy, business decisions, kindness and debt. Enjoyable indeed.

The sensitivity and gentleness of the writing most.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews