The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Imamura, Natsuko. The Woman in the Purple Skirt. Penguin Random House LLC, 2021.

Natsuko Imamura's novel The Woman in the Purple Skirt is written from the first person point of view, and in both the past and present tenses. The novel is divided into untitled, unnumbered sections. The following summary employs the present tense, and a linear format.

The first person narrator, or the self-declared Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, begins noticing a woman in her neighborhood. She calls her the Woman in the Purple Skirt, because she is always wearing a purple skirt. Allured by the Woman's enigmatic aura, the narrator begins following and watching her. She is familiar in some way, but the narrator cannot decide who she resembles.

The more the narrator discovers about the Woman, the more desperate she is to befriend her. However, she does not think it would be natural to walk up to her and introduce herself. She knows the Woman in the Purple Skirt is currently out of work, and thinks if they were coworkers, they might have a better chance of getting to know one another.

The narrator begins circling ads for a housekeeping job at the hotel where she works, and leaving the listings in places the Woman in the Purple Skirt will find them. Finally the Woman calls the hotel and schedules an interview. The narrator thinks the Woman should fix herself up if she wants to get hired, and leaves her floral shampoos outside her apartment. When the Woman gets the job, the narrator is convinced it is because of her shampoos.

Once the Woman and the narrator start working at the hotel together, the narrator fails to introduce herself. Instead, she carries on stalking the Woman throughout her work days. She notices how much the rest of the staff likes the Woman in the Purple Skirt and feels jealous. They even tell her it is okay to take amenities from the hotel, and invite her to their social gatherings. Meanwhile, no one notices the narrator, and when they do they treat her with scorn.

One day the narrator hears a rumor that the Woman in the Purple Skirt is having an affair with the hotel director. Determined to know if it is true, she follows the Woman on her day off. She and the director spend the entire day together.

The narrator feels frustrated their relationship is detracting from her chances at closeness with the Woman. Around the same time she realizes that the other housekeepers are similarly frustrated with the Woman. Then the hotel announces that a slew of housewares has gone missing from the hotel. The other women think that if the director were not so distracted by his affair with the Woman, he would have the time to defend them to the manager. They begin attacking and berating the Woman, even accusing her of stealing the items. The Woman in the Purple Skirt denies it, and flees the hotel.

Later that night, the narrator stalks the Woman's apartment, waiting for something to happen. The director arrives, climbs the external stairs to the Woman's apartment, and insists she let him in. The Woman is furious and hurt he has recently taken his wife on a trip, and refuses to let him inside. They argue in the hall. The director accuses the Woman of stealing the housewares. Angry, the Woman starts punching the director. He stumbles backwards and falls through the rusty banister.

The narrator pops out of the shadows, and rushes to the Woman's side. She tells the Woman she has a plan for them to escape together. Though the Woman in the Purple Skirt is confused, she eventually takes the narrator's advice, and leaves. When the narrator later tries to meet up with the Woman according to the plan, the Woman has disappeared.

The narrator is still looking for the Woman, occupying her usual bench in the park, and hoping for her return.