Much like Imai-Messina’s previous work, The Phone Box at the Edge of the World, the story is about coming to terms with loss and moving on.

Shuichi was born with a weak heart and his mother was over protective. Anything bad that happened in his childhood was swept under the carpet by his mother, who pretended that his early days were idyllic. As a result, as an adult, he does not know how to cope with trauma as Shuichi has not developed a coping mechanism.

When he befriends a child whose home life is difficult, he reassesses his own childhood and his loss.

I had to make a note of this particular passage below as it captures the spirit of the novel and also is some sound philosophical thought on parenting and society, especially linked to the mental health of children following the pandemic.

'It's because adults idealise children. We think of them only as small, good, and simple. But children are much more complicated and melancholic than we adults think. Their thoughts can be dark, they face hell just like we do, with the only difference being that they have fewer tools to deal with it. And those incredible tools they do have - irrationality, boundless imagination, the ability to laugh at the silliest things and endlessly repeat the same joke - tools that could give them a real advantage, aren't accepted by us adults.
Think about it: children are only taken seriously when they are rational, clear, and explain themselves well. .. basically, when they are not being children.’

Imai-Messina explains at the end about the origins of this story and it sounds like she was in a dark place herself. Writing the book helped her tackle her depression and anxiety. Reading it is also a healing experience.

I loved The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World, so I was delighted to see that Laura Imai Messina has released another book and to have the opportunity to read and review it. The Library Of Heartbeats is a beautiful concept: it's a museum on the Japanese Island of Teshima where people are able to listen to other people's heartbeats and record their own. Laura Imai Messina's writing reflects this beauty and I loved how emotional it made me feel and how i became immersed in the stories the museum held.

The Library Of Heartbeats tells the story of Shuichi and Kenya. It's a slow burning story, but as it unfolds it becomes increasingly touching and heartwarming. I loved the relationship between the two characters and I felt connected to them more and more as the novel developed.

Laura Imai Messina explores many themes in The Library Of Heartbeats and whilst they are not always easy to read, there will be something in this novel that resonates with everyone. She captures human nature and emotion in great detail and this makes The Library Of Heartbeats a novel I will remember for a long time to come

The Library of Heartbeats is an absolutely beautiful story of love and friendship, you can't help but be moved by the content.

3.5 stars rounded up.

On the peaceful 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 hometown to fix up the house of his recently deceased mother, and eight-year-old Kenta, a child who wanders around like a shadow around Shuchi's house. Day by day, the trust between Shuchi and Kenta grows until they discover they share 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.

I loved The Phone Box at the Edge of the World, so I was happy to get an ARC of this book. This is a story of friendship and love. Shuichi and Kenta are two completely different characters that share a deep connection. It did take me a little while to get into this story as I found it a bit confusing to begin with. The pace is on the slow side throughout. It's quite an emotional read. Once I got into the story, I found it quite enjoyable.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #LauraImaiMessina for my ARC of #TheLibraryOfHeartbeats in exchange for an honest review,

Having enjoyed the author’s previous novel, I was looking forward to this one. However, the beginning of this novel needs work - it begins with 3 parallel story lines… Yes these do get resolved by the end of the book but it does make it difficult to get into the story, particularly as it’s not at all obvious how they will interlink: there’s 2 nameless boys, a nameless father and son duo, and a third line featuring a chap called Shuichi.

However, once you’ve ploughed on past this and decided to trust that the author will clarify everything (I can imagine a number will DNF before they get to this point), the story is ultimately about redemption, friendship and recovering from grief. As with a story that’s aiming to be uplifting, it has a happy ending.

If the beginning was better, I’ve have given this book 4*. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Library of Heartbeats, in a word for me is Beautiful.

The story captures the little, unspoken, hidden moments a person goes through all their life especially ones that we ourself overlook, often without a second thought.
It showed how these little feelings, quite memories shape our personality, our nature, also how we experience life without making a song and dance of it.

This was a such a beautiful, I love the idea of an island with an archive of heartbeats. This is a book that wraps itself around your heart and stays there a while after you put it down.

A lyrical real-world fable set in modern day Japan.
An artist brought up by a widow who edits his reality to spare him from tragedy learns to face life without his mother, and, it turns out, his son, when he befriends a little boy. Man and boy bond (when they know they must part) on a journey to the “Library of Heartbeats” where the unique heartbeats of people from all over the world are stored in a beautiful building on a small Japanese island, where visitors can listen to any heartbeat in the archive and record their own, with any message they like for those who might one day hear it, or leave no message but the heartbeat itself. Along the way, they learn that imagination and friendship can not only deal with tragedy and purge needless guilt*, but enhance reality and make life so much better and well worth living.

*perhaps the truly guilty experience no guilt themselves, but this fable sees no guilt in anyone.

This beautiful book with themes of grief, healing and intergenerational friendship. It also gives us a look at childhood and what we can learn from a child's perspective.

I was moved by The Library of Heartbeats. It is a beautiful book full of depth and emotion written in a gentle and calm way.

I found it quite difficult to get into this book initially, but by the end I was completely caught up in the story and found it very moving. It is a little bit of a slow burn, and the style might not be to everyone's liking, but the gentle pace built from something melancholy to a really engaging story, and whilst I wasn't much interested in the main character to begin with, he grew on me as I read. The more I knew about him, the more engaged I was.
This is an emotional, sweet story, and saw me immediately looking up afterwards if there actually is an island with an archive of heartbeats in Japan, so that maybe one day I can try to visit.

A beautiful story, well written and very poignant. The characters are well depicted and I felt an affinity with them all. A kind, gentle book.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the preview copy.

A beautiful book based around a 40 year old illustrator man who is grieving his mother and an 8 year old boy
it's a truly lovely read.

This is a beautiful, magical story. It restores faith and lets you dream of peace and love. A highly recommendable book!

Rather a sad read that gradually unfolds how the main character has been affected by the loss of his son. His developing friendship with a young boy helps him to begin to heal and allow some happiness into his life.

This is absolutely adorable, like putting on a cosy pair of slippers. Perfect for the current autumnal weather

Sometimes the power and emotion of a novel creeps up on you so unexpectedly that it leaves you so deeply moved that the impact is not only incredibly profound but has actually given you a different perspective on life

The Phone Box at the Edge of the World was a beautiful read so this new novel by Laura Imai-Messina had big footsteps to follow in.

This is a story of love and friendship - a bond that is made following tragedy and sadness. Shuichi, a story book creator / illustrator has the task of emptying his mother’s home following her death; but discovers that each afternoon an eight year boy called Kenta is entering a side passageway to the house and taking items. Intrigued, Shuichi soon establishes a friendship with the boy.

What follows is the story of these two different individuals but also deep connection that pulls them closer as both try to make sense of the world around them. This is a story about the beauty and power within the innocence of being a child. It is also a story about that most powerful of things - if not the most - the human heartbeat. On the island of Teshima is a library where heartbeats are captured and stored either from visitors or sent from people around the world

This is a book that could so easily have veered towards sentimentality but not at all. As with many Japanese based tales there is a sense of melancholy and the first half of the book has an underlying sense of sadness. But as the story progresses a powerful and deep tenderness emerges ; the aforementioned library brings the story to its denouement with unexpected results.

Truly beautiful- let yourself escape , breathe and immerse yourself and your heart into this wonderful book.

A beautiful story about intergenerational friendships and lessons about life, safety and love The translation was done beautifully I appreciated the notes on the Japanese scripts and words.

This was a beautiful book which stayed with me days after I had finished it. Heartwarming and full of love.

This novels is all about an archive in Japan where people travel to record their heartbeats. In this small building the heartbeats of those both alive and dead continue to echo.

The book centres around the relationship between Shuichi, a 40 year old illustrator of children’s books, whose mother has recently died and who has returned to his family home to fix up her house and Kenya, a 8 year old boy. He shadows Shuichi and gradually trust is built up between the two and they find that they share a bond which will tie them together.

Eventually they travel together to record their heartbeats and Shuichi finds peace.

A book I will be recommending.