"Four linked stories portray young women who doggedly apply themselves to their work in the face of difficult personal relationships and tough economic conditions, determined to carve out a better life for themselves. The title story tells of an unusual relationship between the 23-year-old narrator, Michiko Sawada, and her 45-year-old boss, Atsuko ("Akko") Kurokawa, a highly capable manager and the department's only female worker with 'regular employee'...