Toru, a serious young college student in Tokyo, is dedicated to Naoko, a lovely and thoughtful young woman, but their shared desire is marred by the terrible death of their best friend years ago. Toru is pulled to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young lady as Naoko retreats farther into her own world. Norwegian Wood is a great coming-of-age narrative soaked in nostalgia, blending the music, attitude, and ethos of the 1960s with a young man's forlorn and heroic first love.