Olivermagnus's Reviews > The Housekeeper and the Professor

The Housekeeper and the Professor is about the relationship between the two unnamed characters and the Housekeeper's son, only referred to by his nickname Root. The narrator, a single mother employed by the Akebono Housekeeping Agency, has just started working for the Professor, a genius in mathematics. Due to an automobile accident, he has a memory that only lasts 80 minutes. Every morning, the Housekeeper has to reintroduce herself to the Professor. While the Professor's memory always fails him, numbers never do. It is the only way he can reach out to the world while everything else constantly disappears.

The success of this novel lies in the sense that numbers and their relationship to the world are special. I learned so much about math in a nice gentle way and the author was able to make numbers seem magical. The novel also works because of how fully-realized and thoroughly sympathetic the characters are. The deepening relationship between the Housekeeper, Root, and the Professor as they create a temporary family thanks to the power of numbers, the only thing the Professor can relate to, is powerful and emotional despite the failure of the Professor's memory.

If you're looking for a warm, touching novel that focuses on relationships and caring attitudes toward your fellow human beings, this book definitely fits the bill.