The Library of Heartbeats
A sweeping, emotional novel set in Japan from the author of The Phone Box at the Edge of the World
Published on 30. January 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-1-78658-315-4 (ISBN)
Description
'GOOD FOR THE SOUL' iNews
'MESMERISING' Sunday Post
'LYRICAL' iPaper
"TENDER AND MOVING' Woman's Own
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 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
'MESMERISING' Sunday Post
'LYRICAL' iPaper
"TENDER AND MOVING' Woman's Own
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 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
Reviews / Votes
A story about grief and friendship * Woman's Own * Mesmerising second novel . . . A tale of grief, hope, friendship and love * Sunday Post * A lyrical tale about a tranquil Japanese island where people go to record their heartbeats * iPaper * Gorgeous . . . This novel is good for the soul * iNews * A moving and uplifting anatomisation of grief and the small miraculous moments that persuade people to start looking forward again * Sunday Times on The Phone Box at the Edge of the World * Absolutely breathtaking. A story of universal loss and the power of love. It will remain engrained in my heart forever -- Christy Lefteri, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo on The Phone Box at the Edge of the WorldMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 196 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
272 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78658-315-4 (9781786583154)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Laura Imai Messina (Author)
Laura Imai Messina was born in Rome in 1981. At the age of twenty-three, she moved to Tokyo, where she obtained a master's degree and a PhD in Comparative Literature. She currently teaches Italian language and culture in Tokyo. She collaborates with numerous Italian cultural inserts, with Japanese radio and television (NHK), and teaches at the Holden School. She lives between Kamakura and Tokyo. Her novels are translated in many languages.
Lucy Rand (Translator)
Lucy Rand is an editor and translator of Italian fiction, including The Phone Box at the Edge of the World and The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, The Art of Binding People by Paolo Milone and Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum. She currently lives in Norwich.
Lucy Rand (Translator)
Lucy Rand is an editor and translator of Italian fiction, including The Phone Box at the Edge of the World and The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, The Art of Binding People by Paolo Milone and Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum. She currently lives in Norwich.
Laura Imai Messina was born in Rome in 1981. At the age of twenty-three, she moved to Tokyo, where she obtained a master's degree and a PhD in Comparative Literature. She currently teaches Italian language and culture in Tokyo. She collaborates with numerous Italian cultural inserts, with Japanese radio and television (NHK), and teaches at the Holden School. She lives between Kamakura and Tokyo. Her novels are translated in many languages.
Lucy Rand (Translator)
Lucy Rand is an editor and translator of Italian fiction, including The Phone Box at the Edge of the World and The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, The Art of Binding People by Paolo Milone and Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum. She currently lives in Norwich.
Lucy Rand (Translator)
Lucy Rand is an editor and translator of Italian fiction, including The Phone Box at the Edge of the World and The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, The Art of Binding People by Paolo Milone and Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum. She currently lives in Norwich.