Journal with Witch

Thirty-five-year-old novelist Makio Koudai has long been at odds with her older sister, Minori, whose constant criticism left their relationship strained. When Minori and her husband die in a car accident, Makio finds herself more detached than devastated—until she’s called in to identify the bodies and unexpectedly comes face to face with her 15-year-old niece, Asa Takumi, after years apart.

Asa is left reeling from the sudden loss, and Makio, aware of how messy grief can be, tells her that conflicting emotions are natural. She encourages Asa to keep a diary as a way to sort through what she’s feeling. With no other relatives willing to take her in, Makio chooses to become Asa’s guardian, and the two begin an uneasy new life together—learning to share a home while trying to understand themselves in the wake of tragedy.