Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda

THE MILLION-COPY AWARD-WINNING JAPANESE BESTSELLER

In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, a prestigious piano competition is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three students will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives. Though they don't know it yet, each will profoundly and unpredictably change the others, for ever.

Aya is a piano genius, well, she was, until she ran away from the stage and vanished; will Makun, tall and talented in every way, bring her back? Or will it be child of nature, Jin, a pianist without a piano, who carries the sound of his father's bees wherever he goes? Each of them will break the rules, awe their fans and push themselves to the brink. But at what cost?

Tender, cruel, compelling, HONEYBEES AND DISTANT THUNDER is the unflinching story of love, courage and rivalry. Most of all, it shows how three young people reconcile with the highs and lows of what it means to truly be a friend.

Japanese readers love HONEYBEES AND DISTANT THUNDER
***** 'The novel is a masterpiece. I applaud the author for her powers of description. The author's extraordinary affection for music made this work seem so complete'
***** 'Each contestant was wonderfully drawn, and I felt moved, as if I were truly hearing each and every musical piece. I also felt the significance of how a competition can create connections between people'
***** 'I felt like I was right there, with the audience, watching the performances, and there were scenes that brought me to tears'
***** 'This is beyond a reading experience. I felt I was actually listening to the music. It felt like some sixth sense was at work. Wonderful'

***Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel***