The Phone Box at the Edge of the World: The most moving, unforgettable book you will read, inspired by true events

by Laura Imai Messina

Paperback, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

895.636

Collection

Publication

Manilla Press (2021), Edition: 1, 416 pages

Description

The international bestselling novel sold in 21 countries, about grief, mourning, and the joy of survival, inspired by a real phone booth in Japan with its disconnected "wind" phone, a place of pilgrimage and solace since the 2011 tsunami When Yui loses both her mother and her daughter in the tsunami, she begins to mark the passage of time from that date onward: Everything is relative to March 11, 2011, the day the tsunami tore Japan apart, and when grief took hold of her life. Yui struggles to continue on, alone with her pain. Then, one day she hears about a man who has an old disused telephone booth in his garden. There, those who have lost loved ones find the strength to speak to them and begin to come to terms with their grief. As news of the phone booth spreads, people travel to it from miles around. Soon Yui makes her own pilgrimage to the phone booth, too. But once there she cannot bring herself to speak into the receiver. Instead she finds Takeshi, a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of her mother's death. Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is the signpost pointing to the healing that can come after. Laura Imai Messina has made her home in Japan for the last 15 years and works between Tokyo and Kamakura, where she lives with her Japanese husband and two children. She has master's and doctorate degrees from Tokyo University. Translated from the Italian by Lucy Rand, The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is Laura Imai Messina's English-language debut.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member lkernagh
This is one of those "right book, right time" kind of reads, especially in these days of pandemic. It is a quietly contemplative, hopeful story of family, loss, grief, love and hope. At the heart of this story is a simple premise: that every person will find a place - be it real or somewhere deep
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within themselves - where they can tend to their emotional pain, loss, suffering and heal their wounds. This place can take on a different meaning and purpose for each person, but the end result is the same: the ability we all have to go from a place of darkness, pain and suffering to one of sunlight, healing and hope. Beautifully written, I love the idea of a Wind Phone to connect with our loved ones, when normal communication channels are not available, or not working. This book, for me anyways, really was a balm for my soul... soothing and nurturing with a calming, meditative pace. A place of solace in these crazy times.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Overlook Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member marple21
The Wind Phone. It is such an important place to so many people. They come to grieve, rage, understand, and so much more. And it is the place where Yui's and Takeshi's stories intertwine and become something great and inspiring.

This story was such a sweet one to me. I was drawn in by the cover and
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kept reading by the wonderful heart warming story. The chapters each have a beautiful little decorative doodles that I looked forward to seeing as each new chapter approached. I also love how Messina included a donation link at the end and how she included more information at the end, as well.

Overall, it was a wonderful read with a great ending that leaves you feeling satisfied and happy. It brings up questions that make you think about things in different ways, as well. You will question life nd grieving and where our loved ones are after they pass away and whether they are truly gone. I would for sure recommend this book to others.

(I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book.)
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
Two grieving people find each other at a phone booth in Japan where people can phone their loved ones who have died. March 11, 2011 is the date of the tsunami that killed at least 15,897 people. Yui lost both her mother and her 3-year-old daughter. She hears of a phone booth where grieving people
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can send their words of love to those that have been lost. On her way to see this phonebooth she meets Takeshi. They continue to share the trip to the phone booth every year and as their friendship blossoms so does their love. Eventually marrying, they slowly turn from their losses to a happy future. Messina, an Italian who has lived in Tokyo for 15 years has really captured the feeling of sadness and hope.
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LibraryThing member mbmackay
Well written and well constructed homage to the people lost in the Japanese tsunami of 2011, and more especially, to those left grieving.
Not an easy topic to write about, and not one I would have expected to enjoy reading, but the author has crafted something very special here.
LibraryThing member PuddinTame
I normally don't read "serious contemporary fiction", except when I'm in a book club, but I was struck by this book, read it, and thought that it was extraordinary. I found it deeply moving, and it struck me to the core as I contemplate my own losses, and the dilemmas of aging.

It is a simple,
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emotionally complex story of people who have lost those that they love, and coming to terms with their grief. Many of the people have lost family members in the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, in which almost 20,000 people died, and more than another 2,500 went missing. The real Itaru Saski built Bell Gardia Kujira-yama, a garden open to the public. He installed a disconnected phone booth with a black rotary phone, which he used to comfort himself after the death of his cousin. After the tsunami, thousands of people came to use the Wind Phone, or simply walk in the gardens.

The novel follows several of these people. The main one is Yui Hagasawe who lost her mother and daughter in the tsunami, and meets and becomes friends with a widower, Takeshi Fujita at the garden. They meet with several other people who come to use the phone, and remain close to two teenage boys.

I was astounded to realize that it was 400 pages, because I read most of it in an evening. I hope that Itaru Sasaki's own book about the Phone of the Wind will be published in an English translation.
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LibraryThing member PhillipThomas
I was keen to read this novel after my cousin recommended it to me.

I found it to be a fairly easy read although I must admit it didn't really grab me. For me, there were too many small characters introduced that didn't really contribute to the overall narrative. Similarly I found too many small
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plot deviations or tangents that never really went anywhere and did not contribute to the story-line overall. It seemed there was a lot of "filler", and in some cases repetition. I feel that it's a book that would be enjoyed more by women than men.

The book was OK, being saved by a premise that was away from the norm. I wonder whether Japanese experience and concepts, written by an Italian living in Japan and then translated into English resulted in something being lost.
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LibraryThing member SharonMariaBidwell
Based on a real phone box people visit to talk to their departed loved ones, this is a gentle story even though its subject is one of dealing with loss; of how to open oneself up to a future in which one can find the right balance to live a hopeful and love-filled existence, even though genuine
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grief’s a close companion through life. Snippets and minor details intersperse the chapters to the section just read, which lend the book a certain unique charm and style. Yes, the story lingers afterwards, although I its emotional aspect failed to move me.
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Awards

BookTube Prize (Finalist — 2022)
TA First Translation Prize (Shortlist — 2021)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2021

Physical description

416 p.; 7.76 inches

ISBN

1786580411 / 9781786580412

Barcode

91120000488080

DDC/MDS

895.636
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