This book I thought was fun and thoughtful, exploring the various ways that people think about time, death and memory.

Although at times verging on twee, I think it was still interesting and well observed, and was written with a lot of love.

I loved the Phonebox at the End of the World and was therefore delighted when I was approved for the audiobook version of this book by Laura by netgalley. While the story is as moving as Phonebox, I'm not sure it worked as well as an audiobook as I have to admit to finding my mind wandering a little while listening - probably not a book to listen to while doing jobs or walking, which is when I tend to listen to audiobooks.

We are introduced to the main character as he returns to his family home following the death of his mother. Having shut himself off from the world for many years, we follow him as he comes to terms with the loss of his mother, through combating his false and real memories of their shared past and the insight gleaned from the memories a local boy shared with his mother in the recent past.

Having endured much loss throughout his life, both via death of loved ones and also the impact of his heart defect from birth, reopening himself to life - with the encouragement of his new young friend and a local mortuary workers, allows him to finally begin to move on. Impacting both his personal and professional life of an illustrator.

An honest look at the impact sorrow, secrets and misgivings can have on life, this book also provides hope and joy in the small (but in actuality big gestures and actions taken). Its impact is possibly even greater when read than when listened to.

This was an interesting read and I am glad I spent the time doing so. This was my 1st book by Laura Imai Messina but will not be my last, I am adding all of her books to my TBR.

#TheLibraryofHeartbeats
#NetGalley

I liked the idea for this novel but unfortunately it didn't hit for me. Maybe it was the narrator but I was bored.

This story consists of three parts: Shuichi’s, Kenta’s, and Shuichi's mother’s. The chapters alternate without obvious logic, but at the same time in the exact order to offer the reader more and more information, so that it is easier to understand what is going on.
Shuichi hasn't visited his mother in a long time. There has been a tragedy in his life that has made him numb and angry. But when his mother dies and leaves him her house, he has to go back to where he has to face what hurts him the most.
At his mother's house, he discovers a boy disposing of his mother's belongings that Shuichi has thrown away. Little by little Kenta begins to trust him and together they find in life what they thought they had lost.
It's not an easy story, it's a heartbreaking story at times, but it's so interesting to follow.
I listened to this book and I listened to it for a long time, but once I started to understand who is who and what role they play in the bigger picture, I started to enjoy what I heard.
Here is one chapter where the author talks about how heartbeats are different in every language, and Estonian is also an example. Our hearts only beat in one way, but in Japanese, for example, each state of mind, each level of anxiety has a different sound.
How does your heart beat?

What a beautiful concept - a library of heartbeats. The beauty of those beats living in archive long after we have passed. The Library of Heartbeats is based on a true archive, which makes it even more special. When we lose loved ones that disconnect with the world, the isolating grief and the desire for meaning grow. The protagonist at the heart of this audiobbook is similarly adrift and marvels over how the simplicity of hearing his mother and son once more bring a little more hope and purpose to his days. As humans, we all have a heart, yet very language describes the sound differently, and every heart beats to a different rhythm . This audiobook is slowly paced and takes a few chapters to absorb its quiet energy. It is worth it, though, to capture the essence of its beauty. The audiobook is well narrated. The differing heartbeat sounds work well in audio format. #thelibraryofheartbeats #lauraimaimessina #netgalley

Laura Imai Messina might write stories, but they read like poetry

Although her books cover hard topics, they're never written in a triggering or complicated manner. Instead the stories unfold smoothly and it all simply feels like a part of life - two sides of a coin, or Yin and Yang. She expresses that although there are dark parts to our lives and moments of sadness, they're simply a necessity and everything will balance out eventually. Her stories leave you with a comforting feeling upon finishing, and I believe she's truly captured the nuance of Japanese literature and culture.

Just like 'The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World’, I found myself aching to visit the library of Heartbeats myself in order to experience the emotions and feelings that she writes about - and I was so glad to discover that the place truly exists!

In terms of the story itself, I absolutely adored the main characters and how the whole story played out (with the little reveal towards the end). Whilst it was heartbreaking, and I definitely balled my eyes out, it also left me feeling rejuvenated and healed - and this is definitely the kind of book that I can see myself coming back to reread over and over again in the upcoming years

It's always a pleasure to read the author notes at the end and listen to how Laura stumbled upon these places, along with how it all resonated with her. If you ever need a story to pick you up, dust you off, and point you in the right direction again then I'd highly recommend checking out a book from Laura Imai Messina. You won't be disappointed!

Lastly, I'd also like to say that the production team and narrator (Kenichiro Thomson), did an absolutely phenomenal job with this book! The sound effects and pacing truly did the story justice and only added to my enjoyment of 'the Library of Heartbeats' :)


— Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier UK Audio/ Manilla Press for providing the ALC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own

This was a very tender story of grief, friendship and love told through Shuichi, whose mother has recently passed away. We see how the different characters in this story are connected and how they each have their own stories. The library of heartbeats, although not a key part of this story, is a significant one and an emotional one. This multi-generational story, with all of its twists and turns, is easy to read and incredibly heartwarming. The narrator was a great choice for this one and I very much enjoyed the audiobook!

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai-Messina was a love story. Like many stories set in Japan, it had an endearing and almost soothing quality.

It took you into the lives of characters who were very unlikely to have come together and took you on a ride, or rather a pleasant walk into the thoughts and emotions of the protagonists.

I loved the idea of heartbeats being recorded and being available to be listened to. And what was even better was how it was tied to the story at the end making complete sense.

I loved it. It was like a breath of fresh air. There were parts in this book that made me cry but I will let you discover that for yourself.

Thank You, Netgalley and the publisher for approving this copy for me.

This is one of those beautiful stories, you will listen to time and again and each time take a different thought or feeling away with you. It's best enjoyed somewhere peaceful, and not while you are doing something else, as you will miss some of the nuances of the tale if you don't pay attention.

Plus it has the added benefit of teaching you how to say all those Japanese names and phrases you have no idea how to say, even in your head, when you see them in the physical form.

‘To find what you have lost, you must listen to your heart . . . ‘ - cover tag line.

My thanks to Bonnier U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Library of Heartbeats’ by Laura Imai-Messina, translated from the Italian by Lucy Rand. The audiobook is narrated by Kenichiro Thomson.

As with her ‘The Phone Box at the Edge of the World’ this novel is set in Japan and is inspired by a real life location.

The Heartbeat Archive, here called the Library of Heartbeats, is located on the peaceful Japanese island of Teshima. The heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected, allowing for them to continue to echo through time.

The main narrative involves a meeting between two lonely souls. In the ancient city of Kamakura Shuichi, a forty-year-old illustrator, returns to his home-town in order to prepare the house of his recently deceased mother for sale. He encounters eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders like a shadow around Shuichi's house.Slowly trust grows between them and they discover a connection that will lead them to Teshima and to the library of heartbeats.

This was a slow burn, character focused novel and it did take a short while for me to feel engaged with the narrative. As it deals with topics of grief and loss, it was quite an emotional experience though ultimately rewarding if bittersweet. I found that it did require a close reading.

With respect to the audiobook, while Kenichiro Thomson has only narrated a few titles to date his voice was very calming and I felt that he was able to convey the novel’s sense of mono no aware, that intrinsically Japanese awareness of the fragility of existence.

Overall, I found ‘The Library of Heartbeats’ a moving novel, lyrically written. I was amazed by the existence of such an archive and appreciated how well the author had woven it into this story.

The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai-Messina
Narrated by Kenichiro Thomson

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Manilla Press and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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 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 . . .

My Opinion

Recently I was disappointed by The Phone Box at the Edge of the World but I thought I would give Laura Imai-Messina another try when I saw that her latest book was available as an audiobook. Unfortunately for me this was missing something and for a book that had so much potential I was once again disappointed. An emotional read, that is worth a read, just don't expect too much.

Rating 3/5

This book was so beautiful. The language, the descriptions and the characters are carefully crafted in this book, it’s a moving book to read. The quotes will stay with me as little snippets of common sense.

I struggled to get into this. I'm a big audiobook fan but I struggled to stay focused. I think it would be better as a written book rather than on audio so I'll buy a copy once out.

Thank you for giving me access to this audiobook. It was an incredible premise, that's what drew me in but the execution was unable to sustain my interest. I almost DNFed but I had hope. The character development fell flat and I found myself unable to care for the characters or their journey. I do appreciate the author's descriptive style because you do get a strong sense of place.

When Shuichi returns to his family home following the recent death of his mother he discovers a young boy stealing items from the property. When Shuichi confronts the boy, Kenta, he learns that his mother befriended the boy. As the pair spend time together they begin to realise how their stories are intertwined.

The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World by Laura Imai Messina has been on my wishlist for a while now, so when I spotted The Library Of Heartbeats was available as an audiobook on NetGalley I thought this was an ideal opportunity to discover if this author was for me.

Initially, I found the story a little unusual and difficult to follow. Each chapter of the story has a brief introduction, something that is probably much more obvious in the print edition of the book. Combined with this are the unfamiliar names. Once I'd got my head around the style and the names I was deeply moved by the story within. The story itself is fairly short, with the audiobook being just under 7 hours. I found that by listening to the book over three sessions meant that I became fully immersed in this tale of love and grief.

Shuichi has been reluctant to return to his childhood home. As a child he was diagnosed with a heart condition and his mother was over-protective, something he has resented her for all his adult life. When Shuichi meets Kenta he discovers that his mother, a retired teacher, took him under her wing and helped the lonely child with his schoolwork.

Kenta is struggling at school, particularly with writing kanji (Japanese characters). His parents seem to have little time for him and he's a target for bullies. Shuichi is initially reluctant to get involved, but as they spend more time together the reader learns that their lives are connected by more than just Shuichi's mother.

Behind Shuichi's story is a tale of personal tragedy, one that has caused him to feel immense guilt and simply give up on life. The bond of friendship helps both characters to heal, and Shuichi in particular learns to love, and live, again. A visit to the heartbeat archive on the island of Teshima also brings about a surprising revelation for Shuichi regarding his mother.

This is a high quality audio book that has smoothing narrators voice . The audio kept me engaged even when the story got confused.
This is a beautiful heartwarming story that draws you on and warms your heart. It is both poetic and deeply sad in places. Once into the story I found as it unfolded i was gripped. You go have to cobcentrate as the timeline is confuding. The relationships are told beautifully.
A real pleasure to listen . I only understood the title towatds the end. I would highly recommend this audio for anyone who loves a heart warming story that in essence us about interactions.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator.

This was a really fascinating premise with an excellent narrator, but I struggled to get through it. It felt overwhelmingly emotional, and also a little bit frustrating at points waiting for the plot to move forward.

Good, but not my cup of tea.

Sad to say the narrator on this wasn’t very good. Their voice was so monotonous that I barely registered anything about the story so can only give it three stars. I do have the proof so will try to read it instead, as I think it will be a great story. That said, the library didn’t materialise until about 75% of the way through so the synopsis is slightly misleading. It might be the translation, but it also felt a bit overwritten at times, although generally the prose is beautiful.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this book. I reached 50% but it took a while. I couldn't find myself really getting into the story and I was becoming uninterested. I couldn't find myself excited to listen on, so unfortunately made the decision to DNF.

I will say though that it was well written and I can see the appeal of this story. I think I was in the wrong mood for this book, and that will be why I just couldn't get into it.