By Jillian Leon
The novel The Phone Box at the Edge of the World is a fiction written by Laura Imai Messina and was published in 2020 by the Manila Press and translated by Lucy Rand. The “phone box at the edge of the world” describes a phone box in a garden in the city of Otsuchi, Japan. The phone box allowed people to “speak” to the dead and have a chance to talk to their lost loved ones. Yui, a victim of the disastrous tsunami of 2011, had to navigate her place in the world after her mother and daughter were killed by the natural disaster. Yui often traveled to the phone box frequently but never found the courage to go inside. The main character later meets a man whom she calls Suzuki. He had lost his wife in the 2011 tsunami. The two became close and together, coped with their grief. Through their heartache and anguish, Yui, Suzuki, and his daughter learned to laugh, love, and feel joy again as life continued to drag them along.
My reaction to this book was an emotional one, as this novel revolved around grief, loss, and learning to grow around it. It helped me understand that grief does not get smaller, but as time goes on, life begins to grow bigger around it. It also revealed that one can cope with the loss of loved ones and homes with connections with other people. This book illustrates the idea that sharing experiences with others can help one empathize with others and even lighten the weight in their hearts.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly, including its lyrical diction and poetic imagery. However, this novel lacked flow between each of the chapters, each one feeling like its own separate story. While this can add a unique flair to a story, I found myself losing track of the storyline and forgetting its important elements. I would definitely recommend this novel for ages from young teenagers to any age above. The Phone Book at the Edge of the World is a relatively quick read with beautiful imagery, interesting characters, and a heartfelt ending that will heal your soul.