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The Library of Heartbeats

A sweeping, emotional novel set in Japan from the author of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World
By Laura Imai Messina
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Brief Description
From the international bestselling author of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World: a powerful, moving novel of grief, hope, friendship, and love based around a real archive on an island in Japan, where people travel to record their heartbeats. To find what you... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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From the international bestselling author of THE PHONE BOX AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: a powerful, moving novel of grief, hope, friendship and love based around a real archive on an island in Japan, where people travel to record their heartbeats.

From the international bestselling author of THE PHONE BOX AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: a powerful, moving novel of grief, hope, friendship and love based around a real archive on an island in Japan, where people travel to record their heartbeats.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
From the international bestselling author of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World: a powerful, moving novel of grief, hope, friendship, and love based around a real archive on an island in Japan, where people travel to record their heartbeats. To find what you have lost, you must listen to your heart . . .

On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima, there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. In this small, isolated building, the heartbeats of people who are still alive or have already passed away continue to echo.

Several miles away, in the ancient city of Kamakura, two lonely souls meet: Shuichi, a forty-year-old illustrator who returns to his home-town to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi's house.

Day by day, the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows until they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Their journey will lead them to Teshima and to the library of heartbeats . . .

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHOR AND The Phone Box at the Edge of the World:

'Absolutely breathtaking' - Christy Lefteri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo 'A moving and uplifting anatomisation of grief' - Sunday Times 'Strangely beautiful, uplifting and memorable, it's a book to savour' - Choice, Book of the Month 'A poignant, atmospheric novel' - Daily Mail 'A striking haiku of the human heart' - The Times 'Beautiful. A message of hope for anyone who is lost, frightened or grieving' - Clare Mackintosh 'Incredibly moving. It will break your heart and soothe your soul' - Stacey Halls 'Mesmerising . . . beautiful . . . a joy to read' - Joanna Glen, Costa shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hope 'Spare and poetic, this beautiful book is both a small, quiet love story and a vast expansive meditation on grieving and loss' - Heat 'A perfect poignant read' - Woman & Home

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786583123

Publisher: Bonnier Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 January 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Manilla Press

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 481g

Pages: 400

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Fiction Fiction in Translation General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Laura Imai Messina Literary Fiction New Release Fiction The Great Clear Out Sale The Great Clear Out Sale: General Fiction

About the Author

Laura Imai Messina (Author)
Laura Imai Messina was born in Rome and moved to Tokyo at the age of 23. Her international bestselling novel The Phone Box at the Edge of the World was published in 31 countries. Laura teaches at some of the most prestigious Japanese universities, as well as writing for newspapers and working with the Japanese National TV Channel NHK.

Lucy Rand (Translator)
Lucy Rand was shortlisted for the TA First Translation Prize for The Phone Box at the Edge of the World which she translated while living in Japan. She has also translated novels by Italian authors Paolo Milone and Irene Graziosi, and is the editor of the guided audiobook app, Audrey. She now lives in Norwich.

Also by Laura Imai Messina

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  • The Library of Heartbeats
    A POWERFUL, MOVING NOVEL OF GRIEF, HOPE, FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE BASED ON A REAL HEARTBEAT ARCHIVE ON AN ISLAND IN JAPAN. To find what you have lost, you must listen to your heart . . . On the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima, there is a library of heartbeats, a place where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the...
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  • The Phone Box at the Edge of the World
    Absolutely breathtaking - Christy Lefteri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo. We all have something to tell those we have lost... On a windy hill in Japan, in a garden overlooking the sea stands a disused phone box. For years, people have travelled to visit the phone box, to pick up the receiver and speak into the...
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