it took me a good while to get into this and get used to the narrator of the audiobook, too - he has a very pleasant voice, but it‘s almost a little too calming at times, making it harder to focus. the narrative left me a little confused at the start and i was a little lost trying to figure out where it was going to go, but about halfway through i found my way into the novel and started to really, really enjoy it. it‘s full of heartfelt conversations and deals beautifully with the topic of grief. i really appreciated the writing too, and almost think i would‘ve preferred this as a physical book to be able to spend a little more time on each sentence. definitely one worth sticking with, even if you don‘t get draw in immediately!

Full disclosure: I LOVED the first book I read by this author. It was a gorgeous, lush, quiet, emotional book that I ugly cried my way though, and even now, almost 4 years later, I think of it often. So when I saw that the author had a new book, I knew I had to read it. I was lucky enough to get the audiobook ARC for this [after being denied the actual eBook :-( ] and dove in with plenty of Kleenex and huge expectations.

Yeah. Sigh.

This book, unfortunately, did not work for me. I never really engaged with the story until about 90 - 95% [this is when the Heartbeat Library FINALLY makes its appearance], and while this was the very best part of the book, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for what you have to slog through to get there and just couldn't save the story for me.

The title here is extremely misleading. I kept reading and waiting for it to appear, and nothing happened [literally. I live a very lonely life and initially thought this would resonate for me; ummm, no. Not even remotely], so even though it truly was the best part of the book [there was such tenderness and sadness and the tears freely flowed], I was very disappointed that it took so long to get there and that our time there was so very short.

I had not heard of, nor listened to this narrator before, and unfortunately, I will not be seeking him out as a narrator any time soon. He has a very monotone way of speaking, which made him sound like he wasn't even remotely interested in what he was narrating and it was very off-putting and didn't add to my enjoyment [or lack of it] at all.

I am very sad and disappointed as I was so looking forward to this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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 the second time, I went through the interludes again.
Did you notice that I said ‘the second time’? More on this in the next section.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 7 hours, is narrated by Kenichiro Thomson. I found it a bit tough to adapt to his inflections at first, but after about 20%, I was able to focus on his reading comfortably. I heard the book at twice my usual tempo because his narration was quite slow. He had the odd pauses typical of Japanese speech patterns, and while this gave an added genuineness to the narration, it also distracted me at times. Plus, he didn’t go out of his way to voice characters distinctly. To top it all, the story isn’t exactly linear. So I believe the audiobook will be a good option only to the most avid of listeners.
While I am quite used to audiobooks by now, I somehow felt like I would have liked this book better had I read it. Luckily, I had access to the digital copy as well. So after I completed the audio version, I dug out my digital ARC and speed-read through the entire book again (Should I count the book twice in my reading challenge, I wonder?!), slowing down only at times to reread some scenes that had befuddled me in the audio version. I appreciated the story even more through this method and actually noticed how well the author’s writing reflected emotions and descriptions. There are several subtleties in the timelines that had made no sense in the audio version. Plus, the kanji is better if visible. My rating after listening to the audio was 3.25 stars. But after reading the book, it shot upwards!

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.

My thanks to Bonnier Books UK for providing the DRC, and to Recorded Books for the ALC of “The Library of Heartbeats” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I like the premise of this book it fell flat. The narrator fell flat. I was very uninterested but made my way thru to the end. The end was ok.
I am grieving the loss of my mom and thought this would help. It just left me confused.

A beautiful rumination on grief and memory. Cozy and haunting at the same time. Several timelines weave together to tell a story about love in various guises. It is also about the way we touch each other's lives and the residue we leave there. There is a fascinating exploration of the power of imagination - it's uses and misuses. I listened to the audio and found the narration perfectly fit the story. The Heartbeat Library is a slow, small story with a satisfying arc. Every detail paid off in the end for me. I enjoyed the pace and the weaving of the timelines. And of course, I now want to visit Les Archives du Coeur and hear the heartbeats for myself. Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

Not my kind of book. It may just be the audio so I did get the e-book as well.

The story felt a little off. Like I was missing something.

It didn't really draw me in and I felt like I was just sitting here watching through a goldfish bowl.

It was weird and after nothing stood out for me.

2.5 stars

I loved this book. "The Heartbeat Library" by Laura Imai Messini is a moving tale about healing and connection through the power of stories. A lovely read and a slice of life in Japan.

This was such a beautiful and heartfelt "slice of life" style book! I haven't read any Japanese literature before so this was a first for me. I found the beginning to be a bit slower and melodic, while it all really came together in the second part of the book. I think that this is a really philosophical and melancholic story but definitely worth the read!

I also very enjoyed the narrator. Thank you to Netgalley and RBMedia for this arc.

I will just say this out loud, if you like Japanese literature, you’ll love this, its a story full of losses but also of new found feelings… while we travel through the story we discover how the characters touch each other lives and also each other deaths…

Shuichi is a deeply hurt man, ever since he was little, his mother tried to protect him from shock (he has a little hole in his heart and shock could possibly kill him), even pretending some things were only Shuichi imagination, during the book, we got to learn his true story, what he lost and what he found with Kenta, a boy born in the same day, as another important character we only hear about… I really don’t want to spoil the story, because the journey goes very deep and emotive…

There’s a very profound level of emotion in this book, I got touched in many ways, this feels like a slow paced story but in a very nice way… I loved this book, and I also loved very much the audiobook version, Kenichiro Thomson, did a terrific job, and I will try to listen more audiobooks read by him, he tried to bring all characters to life, there were some situations where he was reading kenta mother and he just read it like it was shuichi but it was so far and between, and I was so engrossed in the story that I don’t really mind, and I really loved this audiobook and the experience.


Thank you Netgalley and RBmedia | Recorded Books, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you bunches for the arc copy of this - I received it in audio form. I listened to this to and from work for a few days and absolutely love it. This is an audiobook i will 100% be listening to again.

It is about a library that is full of heartbeats of visitors who are passed away or even still living. If you are not someone who can bounce around with characters or stories in a story than I wouldn't recommend this for you. This was so incredibly beautiful and its so heartwarming based on friendships and loss/grief. I cant wait to buy a copy and physically reading it so I can go back and make sure that I didnt miss anything important since audiobooks can tend to be difficult

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

Not the book for me, there were plenty of cute, sad and interesting things in this book but I felt bored most of the time anyways. Definitely well written though just the wrong plot for me.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 10th November and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of December.

"The Heartbeat Library is a tender, contemplative, and uplifting novel about grief, friendship, and the many ways we heal..."

I was most interested in finding out what kind of bond Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, and eight-year-old Kenta could possibly share. The story unfolds slowly, through little moments, the way many friendships unfold. It's quite beautiful. I enjoyed getting to learn about the characters and how they start to seep into each others lives. I think this is more of a "slice of life" type read. I found the way the author would zoom into one room or one memory to be captivating. You go through different days with the characters as they, and the reader, learn more about each other and unravel why they are the way they are, and how they can change for the better. If you like these kinds of stories, ones that focus more on the characters and that look into the human experience, then you may enjoy this book!

If you listen to the audiobook, like I did, you'll find the narrator both engaging and soothing. Kenichiro Thomson did an amazing job.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC/audio book!

I struggled through 90% of this book.

I listened to the audio and the narrator simply sounded disinterested in what he was reading. Apart from the occasional change he spoke in a monotone throughout.

The actual content of the book may have been easy to follow on paper but the changes of characters and scenes made little sense when the narrator didn't change his tone and the narrative seemed to flow from past to present without any discernible swap leaving me very confused.

The title of the book was also misleading because the actual Heartbeat Library is barely in it, only turning up at the end.

Had the rest of the book been as moving and interesting as the last 10 percent, it would have been as wonderful as the Telephone Box book previously.

Very disappointed.

Thankyou to Netgalley and RB Media for the audio advance review copy.

Title: Lovely. Intriguing
Cover: Simple yet stunning
Narrator: Such a calming, soothing voice. Perfect for this story.

This story was so heartwarming. Sad at parts, but that was sandwiched between moments of beautiful friendship and healing.

**Audiobook Review: The Heartbeat Library**

Laura Imai Messina’s *The Heartbeat Library* is a beautifully crafted meditation on grief, healing, and the unlikely relationships that help us endure life’s most profound losses. Set against the serene backdrop of rural Japan, the story follows Shuichi, an adult navigating the recent death of his mother, and Kenta, a young boy whose quiet sadness feels ever-present. Together, they form a unique bond that delicately mirrors how grief shapes both adults and children in different, yet equally significant ways.

Messina masterfully portrays grief as a fluid, evolving experience, showing how adults like Shuichi grapple with memory, regret, and the weight of responsibilities, while children like Kenta cope with loss in more subtle, often unspoken ways. Their journey to the library of heartbeats serves as a poignant metaphor for how memories can simultaneously haunt and heal us.

While the story itself is moving and contemplative, the audiobook’s narration sometimes hindered my connection to the characters. The narrator’s monotone delivery made it challenging to distinguish between perspectives and emotions, especially in a novel so dependent on the quiet, emotional undercurrents of grief and hope.

Despite the narration, *The Heartbeat Library* remains a tender exploration of how people of all ages find solace in unexpected places. The novel offers a gentle yet profound take on loss, making it a worthwhile listen for those seeking a reflective, heartwarming story—though I’d recommend pairing it with a physical copy to fully appreciate the emotional nuances.

A beautiful story of friendship and love. This modern tale taking source from the real and wondrous artwork of Christian Boltanski's Archives du coeur on Teshima Island in Japan, is one of bereavement, reconciliation, openness, and letting his heart experience joy and welcome others. Thank you #netgalley #RBMedia

3.25⭐️s. This is a beautifully told story. Very poetic, and it’s been a while since I’ve read poetry. It’s very slow as you follow a lot of the plot. It does come together. Recommend taking your time to appreciate it. Because it was slower, I didn’t connect well with it. Fabulous narration from Kenichiro Thomson. 5⭐️ Narration!

Shuichi is a forty-year-old illustrator who is returning to his family home due to his mother passing away. Enter Kenta. A six year old that has been taking things from the house. Kenya had built a relationship with Shuichi’s mother and didn’t want someone to take everything away. Over time, they form a bond through life in all its grief and difficulties. They will confront their pain and loss, but find hope and friendship. As they travel the the library of heartbeats.

Thank you to Laura Imai Messina, @netgalley, and RB Media for the advanced listened copy.

This was my first read of this kind and believe me, it takes a while to really get to the plot. It starts slow but the story of grief and mourning will have you in your feelings. Great choice for narrator, he does a great job of instilling the story and portraying the emotion.

The Heartbeat Library by Laura Imani Messina is a story about grief, loss, and the path to healing. Shuichi is cleaning out his mother’s house after she has passed away. A young boy, Kenta, lives nearby and becomes friends with Shuichi. The story slowly unfolds about Shuichi and Kenta. You also learn about Shuichi’s past and how his grief is not only about his mother. Shuichi and Kenta end up visiting the inspiration for the book, an actual heartbeat library in Japan.

I would recommend this book for all readers, it will resonate with people who have dealt with a loss. The process of healing and grief is difficult and not the same for everyone, Shuichi carefully unpacks his grief and learns how relationships help him live again. This is a story that you settle in and let it unfold, it’s lyrical and inspirational while warming your heart to how we can connect to the people around us. I listened to the audiobook, the narrator has a hypnotic voice that is quite pleasing and easy to follow.

Thank you RBmedia and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Heartbeat Library is a tender and poignant book which took my breath away! I received the audiobook from Netgalley which I was happy to listen to.

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 Kenta, 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.