The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan

The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan is the first person narrator of the novel. In an effort to liken her character to that of the Woman in the Purple Skirt, the narrator assigns herself this moniker at the start of the narrative. None of the other characters refer to her by this name, though she at times imagines the Woman in the Purple Skirt doing so. In the latter half of the novel, the narrator's coworkers infrequently refer to her as Supervisor Gondo, or Gondo-san.

The narrator is a single woman of indiscriminate age. She lives by herself, and works as a housekeeper at a local hotel. She has been estranged from her family for two decades, ever since her parents divorced and their family fell apart. Some time prior to the start of the novel, the narrator takes an interest in the...