In a Nutshell: A slowburn and heartwarming literary fiction about two lonely souls who find solace in each other. (No, this isn’t a romance.) Evocative writing, realistic characters. Grief and hope intertwined. Wanted more of the titular library, but the rest was beautiful. This is a mood read. Better if actually read than on audio.

Plot Preview:
Off the west coast of Japan on the serene island of Teshima is a small library, where the heartbeats of thousands of people from all over the world have been collected. Whether now living or dead, their heartbeats continue to thrum in this quaint library.
In the distant city of Kakamura, there are two persons in very different circumstances but equally lonely. Forty-year-old Shuichi, who has just lost his mother, has returned to his childhood home to clear her house. Eight-year-old Kenta, stuck with separated parents who have no time for him, keeps hovering around Shuichi’s mother’s house. As the two discover each other’s presence, their daily interactions create a bond between the man and the boy. But what have these two people got to do with the library of heartbeats? Read and find out.
The story comes to us mostly in the third-person perspectives of Shuichi and Kenta.

I am not a big fan of Japanese literature. Whatever I have read so far by Japanese authors has not clicked much with me. However, I do surprisingly well when outsiders write books based in Japan. The setting and the social mores are utilised so beautifully by these ‘gaijin’ that it results in deeply poignant stories without the usual constraints (at least in my eyes) of Japanese writing. This book is one of them.
Author Laura Imai Messina is an Italian who has lived in Tokyo ever since she was twenty-three. This book, like all her other works, was originally written in Italian. "L'isola Dei Battiti Del Cuore" (2022) has now been translated to English by her regular collaborator, translator Lucy Rand. I found this book a well-written literary narrative that offers a touching ode to Japanese culture and beliefs.
A character-oriented literary fiction needs well-defined characters, and the two main characters fit the bill perfectly. While there are some women characters in the story as well, it is primarily focussed on the two males. With the large age gap between the two, it is easy to see them in a pseudo parent-child bond. But as they are unrelated, this bond fluidly shifts into a sibling bond or a neighbourly bond or a friendship bond, as per the need of their emotions. I love how the author (along with the translator) was able to capture Shuichi’s and Kenta’s emotions in a genuine manner.
Both Shuichi and Kenta have grief in their past. But the true extent of their heartbreaks, the depth of their familial struggles, and their desperate attempts at overcoming sorrow and loneliness aren’t dumped on us at a go. The story unveils its lead characters’ backstories gradually, so there are many surprises and revelations along the way that help us understand the characters and their emotions even better.
Through this layered pattern of storytelling, the book covers many tricky themes. I won't reveal more beyond what I have said above as these would be major spoilers. But suffice it to say, don’t pick up this book when you are feeling low or maudlin. Of course, there is a lot of hope, love, understanding, resilience, and joy in the story as well. But the dominant tone is somewhat melancholic, so read it only when you are in a strong headspace.
The story is much more than just about the man and the boy connecting over their shared sadness. We see some realistic connections across characters in varied relationships, we see the impact of the past on the present, and we see the role guilt plays in hindering happiness. Shuichi’s connection with his mother is also strongly felt on the pages, even though she is no longer alive when the book begins.
Thanks to the various characters’ interactions, we see several interesting details about how Japanese kanji are formed. I appreciate how the book included the Japanese characters also so that we could actually see the kanji. But my favourite add-on was the part detailing the sound of the heartbeat in various languages – this was such a treat! In fact, the whole book has several interesting titbits about hearts and heartbeats – all amazing facts that trivia lovers will relish.
The titular “Heartbeat Library” felt like such a fabulous but fantastical idea. Imagine a place that records the heartbeats of visitors for perpetuity! As much as I loved learning about this unusual library on Teshima Island, I was even more impressed that the place is not fictional but real. However, unlike what the title indicates, the library is more like a background to the events of the book than the focal point, It is hardly present until the 30%, and even then, it pops up only sporadically. This doesn’t take away anything from the story because patience does show us the importance of the library in the plot. But if you wanted the library to be the main setting of the story, you might need to readjust your expectations.
The writing is truly beautiful. There are so many beautiful thought-provoking quotes that made me pause and ponder. The narrative gets a tad abstract and philosophical at times, but the overall feel is still very grounded. While the timeline is linear, there are several interludes from other characters and other time points. These might at times seem unrelated to the main plot but they all connect neatly later in the story. After I finished the book, I went through the interludes again.

All in all, while I did hope for a story more focussed on a heartbeat library, I still like the plot for what it is. Its character-focussed narrative ensures that we end up rooting for Shuichi as well as Kenta, individually and jointly. The themes, the writing, the plot development and the library itself all makes this a soul-satisfying read when you are in the right headspace.

Definitely recommended. This book has a strong Japanese flavour, but it is not as abstract and meandering as many contemporary Japanese novels are. It is thus a great way of trying Japanese fiction without trying *Japanese* fiction. 😉

4 stars

Pro Tip: Read the prologue again once you are done with the book. The first time around, it's just curious. The second time, with the advantage of hindsight knowledge, it feels bittersweet.

loved Phone Box at the End of the World for its beautiful philosophy and the story at its heart. I described it as thought provoking and carthartic and looked forward to reading more by the author.

Like Phone Box centres around another very unique concept - a library of heartbeats whre the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected. This is such an incredible idea and sent my mind spinning. The library only appears in the story towards the end of the novel which centres around a friendship between two lonely people. Shuichi is grieving for his Mother and Kenta is a child in a rather busy and consequently neglectful household.

Once again there are moments of quiet wisdom - the kinds of phrases you print out and stick on your fridge for daily inspiration. I loved the gentleness and compassion that Shuichi exhibited towards Kenta and the way that their friendship enabled both of them to find a greater contentment. However, I found this story rather slow and I am afraid at points I really lost my way. I think that the author did a lot of the things that I enjoyed in Phone Box but the story felt too slender to hold their weight.
WIth many thanks to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for my copy of this book.

The Library Of Heartbeats brings you along on a slow, melodic journey. The atmosphere of this book was comforting and the premise interesting.
If you enjoy slower slice of life literary works, then I think you'd enjoy this book a lot.
I liked the cast of characters we were introduced to and just the overall feel of the novel.
Another enjoyable read from this author.

*I received this book via Netgalley*

Such a beautiful story, thank you for letting me read it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai- Messina is an intriguing book about love, life, grief, friendship and hope. On the peaceful island of Teshima in Japan, there is an archive library where people go to record their own heartbeats. The storyline tells different people’s stories and how they all are a part of each other’s lives.
Shuichi, a 40 year old illustrator returns to the home of his recently deceased mother and meets up with 8 year old Kenta and how their friendship grows and how the two of them go to the island of Messina to visit the Library of Heartbeats.
A whimsical story of loss, grief and friendship and moving forward to live.
Highly recommended

I read a lot of books about grief and bereavement. When I became a widow at the age of 36 it was a massive fault line carved across my life. Everything suddenly became split into a before and after. Nobody I knew, except my older aunties in their seventies had been through this so I had no frame of reference. In a strange way it was like being reborn into a world I didn’t know. Like a baby, I was simply coping minute to minute, only dealing with what was directly in front of me and a big black hole where my previous self and everything I knew had been swallowed up. Baby steps were the only way. Because I couldn’t relate to anyone I knew, I did the next best thing I could and decided to read about it. It was possibly the only route a bookworm like me could take. So I read Joan Didion, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, Joyce Carol Oates and Deborah Moggach. When I started to read about death rituals in different cultures I realised ours wasn’t the healthiest way to grieve. All I could do was read, put one foot in front of the other and try to do what my husband told me - ‘don’t get stuck’. He had seen the loneliness of his own father after his mother was killed by a drunk driver two decades before and he didn’t want that for me. So I tried to keep moving. I made terrible mistakes, but kept going. It was books and a dog that saved me.

I loved The Phonebox at the Edge of the World and really loved the idea of a place to go and talk to your loved one. It’s a ritual. A point and place of connection where all your anger and grief can be expressed. Then when you put the phone down and leave the box, you leave those feelings behind. Catharsis is very important, but as time goes on so is containment. It allows people to grieve, but at a time and place of their choice. I’m paraphrasing Beckett when I say that remembrance is important, because if you choose to remember those feelings have less chances to sneak up on you unexpectedly. Shuichi is an artist who returns to her home town of Kamakura after the death of her mother. Her plan is to do carry out all the administrative tasks that occur when someone dies, but also to tidy away her belongings. Slowly she starts to sort the contents of her mother’s house into boxes in the garage. However, she wasn’t expecting to find a young boy in there, going through the boxes and taking items out. This is a daily occurrence. The two characters are similar, in that they seem quite naive but also self-contained. They also share a quiet, gentle nature. Slowly, a friendship grows between Shuichi and this boy called Kenya, who is only eight years old. They connect deeply and in a way they’re experiencing the world together: things are new to Kenya because he is an eight year old boy, whereas Shuichi is navigating a new world without her mother. Now Shuichi is no longer a child, so she’s exploring a whole new world as an adult. An adult whose parental feelings are stirred up by this new child in her life. Children are very healing. We experience the world anew as they discover it and their joy and wonder can be intoxicating.

As the days go by they talk about their feelings of grief and loss. Soon they are discussing ways to remember Shuichi’s mother. I find grief rituals fascinating and I find Japanese ways of thinking about grief are much more holistic than ours. They don’t try to suppress their emotions, knowing that if they do the pain is only being stored away for later and can have somatic effects on the body. They try to find ways to communicate with their loved one, even knowing they won’t be heard. Unsent letters are a standard exercise for writing therapy, because there is a freedom in knowing they won’t be read. We can be angry and vent those negative emotions we fee, but don’t say. The communication can then be spontaneous rather than rehearsed, just as if the loved one is still alive and we continue our relationship with them. I had no idea about the library on Teshima where heartbeats are sent from around the world. I could see the comfort in knowing that the proof your loved one lived is stored somewhere. That in this one place their heart is still beating.

I always find Japanese fiction very calm and thoughtful. I’ve worked using haiku as a form of meditation and it’s amazing how the structure of a haiku makes us concentrate on what is the most important feeling we want to convey. It makes us distil a moment in time and the result poem, though often beautiful, isn’t the point. The journey the poet’s mind has taken to get there is the important part. I felt a little like that about the style of the book. We’re not compelled to read because there’s a mystery or secret to discover. It’s about the characters journey and the process of change. Their adaptation to the world as it is now. There are moments of exquisite descriptions and a philosophical element. It’s one of those books where you find yourself going back to re-read a sentence that’s so beautiful it stops you in your tracks. Although it starts with a feeling of sadness, I felt uplifted at the end. There’s nothing overwrought it sentimental about it either, and it’s because the writer has such a gentle touch that the full impact of the emotions really surprise you. I felt changed by it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc.

This book was very thought provoking and I loved how both characters slotted together and we followed them.

I fell in love with the story and then I fell in love with the story. It was a sweet pleasure, poignant and it talked to my emotions.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A must-read for anyone who enjoyed Messina's 'The Phone Box at the End of the World.' In many ways we cover similar ground, but that doesn't detract from the beauty and power of the book.

Shuichi has returned to the family home after the death of his mother, and soon notices that things go missing or are moved. We learn that these are the actions of 8-year old Kenta, who used to visit Shuichi's mother and who doted on him. As the book develops, both come to face certain events in their past, Shuichi in particular. And behind it all is the Library of Heartbeats, where people can go and record their own heart rhythm for posterity. There, on a remote island, stands the possibility for peace and redemption.

Messina writes with such assuredness and is able to turn beautiful phrases. A heartwarming and touching novel about grace and moving on, this is another wonderful book. 4.5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

📖 REVIEW 📖

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina

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When I was offered this book to read, I jumped at the chance as I adored the author’s previous novel, The Phone Box at the Edge of the World.

This one took me a little while to get into, as I found that it jumped around from character to character without explaining who they were. As the book progressed, I got a clearer understanding of what was going on and started to feel complete affection for the characters.

Shuichi is a an illustrator coming to terms with the death of his mother, who befriends Kenya, a young boy who used to visit his mother. As each day passes, they learn to talk about their grief and find ways to remember Shuichi’s mother.

When reading translated Japanese fiction, I get a real sense that the Japanese have a more holistic way of dealing with grief. When someone they love dies, they don’t try to hide their grief or forget the person, instead they embrace their loss by finding ways to still communicate with them even though they know they won’t be heard. They talk to them, they write letters to them and even listen to their heartbeats, helping to keep their memories alive.

I don’t know how the author finds these unusual places, but the Heart Archives actually exist, just as the Phone Box at the Edge of the World does!

This is a life affirming read showing the path to happiness after a bereavement.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bonnierbooks_uk @manilla_press for the review copy.

Found this a slow and confusing book to tart with but I'm pleased I kept with it, because it was a beautiful and emotional read especially towards the end. I was also intrigued about a museum that stored heartbeats and wanted to find out more

Suichi has moved back to his mother's home following her recent death and a child named Kento starts to visit him whilst he's sorting through her possessions and their relationship starts to grow.

It's a story of relationships, parenthood, grief, love, happiness and imagination.

"over these years, I have come to understand that without imagination, nothing works"

Like the author's previous book, this was another sweeping, beautifully written and gentle book set in Japan. Her style is unusual and exquisite; the book kept my interest in the way it gradually revealed new sections of the story throughout. Sweet, moving and tender.

At first, I wasn't quite sure about this book and was finding it hard to follow, but then I got completely swept up in a beautiful story of love, life and grief.
The language is beautiful and the relationship between Kenta and shuichi is delicately told
I'm really glad I discovered this book. I will be recommending it highly.

Having loved The Telephone at the End of the World I was really looking forward to this one but no matter how many times I try to engage with it I end up looking for another book that captures my interest more. I'm really quite sad about that! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me try & read this book.

I loved The Phone Box at the Edge of the World and I think it was the first Japanese set book I read that has led me to explore so many books from Japanese (and Korean) authors.
This one was a much slower build of a book, and for quite a long time I wasn't sure about it at all but the last third pulled it all together beautifully and I am glad that I stuck with it, and yes I did cry by the end.

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This isn't an author I had heard of before but I was intrigued by the blurb for this one.

Here we follow a friendship between an adult, Schuichi and a child, Kenta as they find their way through life and loss. This is an unlikely friendship but the story shows how age is just a number and sometimes the unlikely friendships are the ones that mean the most.

This story sees us through friendships, grief, family and love. Exploring the importance of all these things in life.

For me I found this book strange to read at first, due to the way it is written it can feel disjointed in how the author has structured the chapters and understanding how they jump but are one. I did find that I struggled to read it and understand exactly where things were meant to be and how they linked but as the story went on I was able to follow easier.

I enjoyed reading this book and it was an easy read for me but I do wish there had been more meat to the bones in terms of the library of heartbeats as I was expecting more from this side of the story but it only comes in fully at the end. But the end really got me!

I think this is a great read for anyone who loves a heartwarming read.

My rating:
⭐⭐⭐

‘The Library of Heartbeats’ is a tender and poignant book which took my breath away! I had always meant to pick up this author and her last book is in my teetering tbr pile, so I jumped at the chance of reading this book. It didn't not disappoint, it has a calming essence and touches on deep themes of grief, loss, growing up and unexpected friendships.

When Shuichi, an illustrator, return home to Kamakura to deal with the aftermath of his mother's death, he was not expecting to deal with a daily intruder to her house. Every afternoon a young boy enters the garage and takes a few objects from the myriad of boxes. What grows from this is a beautiful friendship between Shuichi and Kenya, aged 8. Both the main characters touched my heart in different ways. They are both naive, gentle-hearted and isolated in themselves. But both have beautiful hearts and I loved getting to know them.

Japanese fiction always is a more measured and thoughtful form of literature and this one is no different. It's not about the destination but the characters journey and how they adapt and develop along the way. You expect beautiful descriptions, thoughtful and philosophical prose and that is what you get here. At times I inwardly gasped at some of the beautiful phrasing. I also enjoyed getting to know the background behind of the kanji and how different symbols come together to form the final phrase or word.

This is a melancholy story but one that will touch your heart and stay in your conscious for along time. Let me know if you pick this one up!

The Library of Heartbeats is a gorgeous book, gentle but emotional and almost poetic in its writing style. Set in Japan and inspired by a real life location, it is a slow burn that takes a little getting in to but it is oh so lovely when you do!

We meet forty year old Shuichi who returns to his family home following the death of his mother. Struggling to come to terms with tragedy in his own life, he forms a friendship with eight year old Kenta. As their relationship develops they discover a connection that ultimately takes them to the Library of Heartbeats on the island of Teshima.

It is a story of love, loss and friendship, gentle in its approach but intriguing in its structure and its introduction to Japanese culture and ultimately so mesmerising that it cannot fail to touch your heart and leave you full of reflection.

Shuichi and Kenta come together through different circumstances but provide much-needed support for one another.
This novel explores themes such as grief, family, friendship and love.

This is beautifully written and left me feeling many different emotions, especially at the end. This novel does have a slow pace, but that is due to the build-up and the sensitive themes.

I have read this author's other novel Phonebox at the Edge of the World and didn't hesitate to be on this book tour.

I look forward to whatever next this author writes.

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina is a unique, moving but ultimately uplifting book that took my breath away. Like The Phone Box at the Edge of the World before it, it is a beautifully written and mesmerising story of love, loss, friendship and hope that I know will stay with me for a long time to come.

In the ancient city of Kamakura, Shuichi, a forty year old illustrator, returns to his home town to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother. There he encounters eight year old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi’s house.

As the trust between Shuichi and Kenta grows, they discover they share a bond that will tie them together for life. Their journey will lead them to the Japanese island of Teshima and to the 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.

The Library of Heartbeats is a powerful and thought provoking novel that moved me beyond words, bringing to mind my own personal losses as I allowed myself to be swept away on a journey of love, loss, friendship and hope…

Laura Imai Messina has a distinctive writing style that is skilfully brought to life by translator Lucy Rand. A beautifully written and unique book unlike any I have ever read before, The Library of Heartbeats is an emotional tale that really did touch my heart.

A beautifully written and thought provoking book that I would recommend..