Almost every day, the Woman in the Purple Skirt buys a single cream bun and goes to the park, where she sits on a bench to eat it as the local children taunt her.

 She is observed at all times by the undetected narrator, the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. From a distance, the Woman in the Purple Skirt looks like a schoolgirl, but there are age spots on her face, and her hair is dry and stiff. Like the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, she is single, lives in a small, run-down apartment, and is short on money. The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan lures her to a job where she herself works as a hotel housekeeper; soon, the Woman in the Purple Skirt is having an affair with the boss. Unfortunately, no one knows or cares about the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan. That’s the difference between her and the Woman in the Purple Skirt.

J-Book Club is online, so you can join the conversation wherever you are!

To register or learn more, email Amy Sherman at: [email protected]