The Phone Box at the Edge of the World
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-05 11:51:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Laura Imai Messina
- ISBN：1786580411
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
We all have something to tell those we have lost。
On a windy hill in Japan， in a garden overlooking the sea stands a disused phone box。 For years， people have travelled to visit the phone box， to pick up the receiver and speak into the wind: to pass their messages to loved ones no longer with us。
When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami， she is plunged into despair and wonders how she will ever carry on。 One day she hears of the phone box， and decides to make her own pilgrimage there， to speak once more to the people she loved the most。 But when you have lost everything， the right words can be the hardest thing to find。
Then she meets Takeshi， a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of their loss。 What happens next will warm your heart， even when it feels as though it is breaking。
On a windy hill in Japan， in a garden overlooking the sea stands a disused phone box。 For years， people have travelled to visit the phone box， to pick up the receiver and speak into the wind: to pass their messages to loved ones no longer with us。
When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami， she is plunged into despair and wonders how she will ever carry on。 One day she hears of the phone box， and decides to make her own pilgrimage there， to speak once more to the people she loved the most。 But when you have lost everything， the right words can be the hardest thing to find。
Then she meets Takeshi， a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of their loss。 What happens next will warm your heart， even when it feels as though it is breaking。
Reviews
Adelaide Silva
，
Que livro maravilhoso， não será certamente do agrado de toda a gente， mas para mim foi de leitura compulsiva。 Além da capa lindíssima este livro é uma reflexão sobre o luto e a perda contada como se fosse um poema
Valentina
，
Vorrei fosse più vicino il telefono del vento。。。
Jeimy
，
This is the shortest 400+ page book！ It started off strong and I loved how it explored how various characters lived with their grief。 Unfortunately， the book weakened once the two main characters started having feelings for one another。
Jamele （BookswithJams）
，
This was such an interesting novel， based on an actual phone booth in Japan that I was not aware of and am absolutely fascinated with now。 It is also known as a ‘wind’ phone， a phone where people can go to call their loved ones that have passed on， particularly those that lost loved ones during the tsunami of 2011。Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami and struggles with moving forward。 She hears about a man who has an old disused telephone booth in his garden， and that many who have l This was such an interesting novel， based on an actual phone booth in Japan that I was not aware of and am absolutely fascinated with now。 It is also known as a ‘wind’ phone， a phone where people can go to call their loved ones that have passed on， particularly those that lost loved ones during the tsunami of 2011。Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami and struggles with moving forward。 She hears about a man who has an old disused telephone booth in his garden， and that many who have lost loved ones have traveled to use it to speak to them and have found a way to deal with their grief。 So she makes her way to the phone and meets Takeshi， a husband who has lost his wife and his daughter has stopped speaking ever since she died。This is written in very short chapters， and is unlike anything I have read in a while。 Obviously it is a heavier topic， but it is very beautifully written， and I loved that this story was crafted around a very real object。 It is a quick but heavier read as it deals with grief and memorializing those we have lost。 Thank you to Abrams Press for the #gifted book to review。 。。。more
Emily Bittner
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Loved the writing and the story。 Only criticism is that I spent a few days away from it and had trouble remembering the backstories of the minor characters， which is probably more of a commentary on me than the book。 Quite moving and funny and loved the way the chapters were followed by an aside about something in each chapter。
Irene Giuliani
，
Potente e delicato。
Annie
，
This was another of my random Fox Lan Books purchases - The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina tells the story of a real-life location， where an unconnected phone stands in a bamboo box in a remote garden in Japan。 People visit from all over the country and the world， to speak into the receiver， mostly talking to loved ones who had died， and some to loved ones they have just lost in some other way。The main thread of the plot follows Yui and Takeshi， who have both suffered g This was another of my random Fox Lan Books purchases - The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina tells the story of a real-life location， where an unconnected phone stands in a bamboo box in a remote garden in Japan。 People visit from all over the country and the world， to speak into the receiver， mostly talking to loved ones who had died， and some to loved ones they have just lost in some other way。The main thread of the plot follows Yui and Takeshi， who have both suffered great tragedy， and who meet on their first individual trips to the phone box。 The become friends and arrange to visit together once a month from then on。 The book tracks how they interact with the phone， reveals their backstory over time， shows them meeting other people at the garden， and develops the intertwining of their lives back in Tokyo。The book is written in an unusual way。 The chapters are very short， interspersed with lists， background information and further descriptions of small moments。 The main narrative has very little direct action in it， at least until quite near the end， making it feel restrained and remote in some ways。 But perhaps this is a deliberate act of kindness on the part of the author， protecting the reader from the full brunt of the emotion contained in the characters' stories， but still providing enough detail and interest to become engaged and invested。The story gradually comes together in a really beautiful way and， in the end， is very affecting。 So I would definitely recommend persevering with this one， even if you're not immediately taken with it。 The book works its magic very slowly over the course of the story， without you realising it， allowing you into the characters' lives without being overwhelmed by the huge amount of sorrow they all suffer， and at last leading you to a place of peace and quiet joy。 。。。more
Joel
，
Poetic and easy to read。 A message of hope in the midst of grief， I liked the balance of all the characters。
DaughterOfPoseidon
，
This was a beautiful book。 It made me laugh cry and jump with joy。 I loved this book。 It was so full of detail。 So full of emotion。 It was just SO lovely。 Hannah was the best character in my opinion。 Despite how little she had to say， she could show so much。 This was a wonderful book and I would love to read it again。
David Gill
，
I gave up on this one it was too depressing， constantly dealing with death and grief， in the current pandemic we have enough of that。 My friends say it gets better andI should finish it。 I may go back to it later
Rozalyn Smith
，
DNF @ 40%。This is a pretty depressing read， I knew it was about the aftermath of the Tsunami but I hoped it would be told in an uplifting way。 I found it just made me feel very glum！ I really couldn’t connect with any of the characters & unfortunately I found the plot very slow & ended up giving up！
Petra Wiechmann
，
In Japan in einiger Entfernung zu Tokio steht in einem kleinen Garten am Meer eine Telefonzelle。 Sie ist nicht mehr am Netz angeschlossen und darin befindet sich noch ein altes Telefon。 Wenn man den Hörer abnimmt und wählt bekommt man keine Verbindung aber man hört den Wind und der Wind wird deine Worte mitnehmen und zu den Menschen bringen die du vermisst und leider nie wieder sehen wirst。Nach dem Tsunami bei dem Yui Mutter und Tochter verloren hat， ist die Welt für sie nur noch schwer zu ertra In Japan in einiger Entfernung zu Tokio steht in einem kleinen Garten am Meer eine Telefonzelle。 Sie ist nicht mehr am Netz angeschlossen und darin befindet sich noch ein altes Telefon。 Wenn man den Hörer abnimmt und wählt bekommt man keine Verbindung aber man hört den Wind und der Wind wird deine Worte mitnehmen und zu den Menschen bringen die du vermisst und leider nie wieder sehen wirst。Nach dem Tsunami bei dem Yui Mutter und Tochter verloren hat， ist die Welt für sie nur noch schwer zu ertragen。 Sie verliert sich in ihrer Trauer。 Dann erfährt sie von dieser Telefonzelle und das es anderen Menschen geholfen hat auf diese Weise mit ihren Verstorbenen zu reden。 Das Überleben wird dadurch anscheinend leichter zu ertragen。Die Last des Überlebens steht im Mittelpunkt von diesem Roman。 Dieses Glück das man durch puren Zufall eine Katastrophe überlebt hat und das gleichzeitig ein geliebter Mensch starb ist für viele Menschen unerträglich。 Mit ganz sanften Worten und leichten Bildern beschreibt die Autorin dieses Leid。 Auch der vorsichtige Versuch mit der Trauer um zugehen wird dezent und leise erzählt。Japan und die Menschen die dort leben gelten als sehr diskret und unaufdringlich。 Alles ist etwas leiser und dezenter。Genauso ist der Schreibstil， einige Begriffe und Namen muten seltsam an aber wie auch in anderen Büchern die aus fremden Kulturen erzählen gewöhnt man sich beim Lesen daran。 Zum Beispiel die nordischen Autoren schreiben meistens etwas düster， amerikanische sehr frei in der Sprache。 Hier denke ich an eine Teezeremonie， leise， in einer bestimmten Choreographie。Ein solches Buch habe ich noch nicht gelesen es ist mit nichts vergleichbar。Trotz allem habe ich mich wohlgefühlt， klar das Buch zu lesen macht traurig und weckt eigene Erinnerungen， aber auch wie bei den Protagonisten werden auch schöne Erinnerungen geweckt， an gemeinsame Erlebnisse oder gesprochene Worte。 Das Buch nimmt einen mit nach Japan， zu dem Garten， zur Telefonzelle， zu den guten Erinnerungen。 。。。more
Débora Sofia
，
Mais um para os favoritos de 2021。🤎Que escrita belíssima e tão emocionante。 Chorei com este livro que nos transmite uma mensagem poderosa sobre a felicidade depois de um luto。Se houvesse mais estrelas daria infinitas。 🤍
RM W
，
Having completely forgotten about the tsunami of 2011 （smh） but having lost my own mother in 12/20， this story was poignant and tender。 I appreciated the glossary which explained the unfamiliar words。
Anita
，
It was the title of this book which first caught my attention。 And when I found out the nature of the story， I thought it most apt; profound， even。In the aftermath of losing someone， many of the bereaved describe that feeling as having their world seemingly ripped away from them， or as though they were standing at the edge of a cliff with the way forward having crumbled away。 This story is set in Japan， about a phone booth in a distant location -- quite metaphorically， at the edge of the world - It was the title of this book which first caught my attention。 And when I found out the nature of the story， I thought it most apt; profound， even。In the aftermath of losing someone， many of the bereaved describe that feeling as having their world seemingly ripped away from them， or as though they were standing at the edge of a cliff with the way forward having crumbled away。 This story is set in Japan， about a phone booth in a distant location -- quite metaphorically， at the edge of the world -- where those who have lost loved ones can come and talk to them on the "wind phone。" There truly is such a phone booth in the garden of Bell Gardia Kujira-yama。 In this story， a woman makes the trek to this locale to commune with and feel closer to her daughter and mother， both of whom died in the March 2011 tsunami that struck the coast of Japan。 Here， she meets others who have come to use the phone and garden for a similar reason。 This book is about their journeys towards healing and recovery。For some， being able to engage in the act of dialing a telephone number and talking to their deceased loved ones brings a degree of comfort and solace not attainable through any other means。 A long goodbye is what some people need in order for their grief to be transmuted into a sort of new beginning。 For me， this was not a sad story， but one of hope， which comes with the understanding that while the picture of the future may still appear to be hazy， there is the anticipation of a tomorrow。* Read for The 52 Book Club's 2021 Reading Challenge task: Book with discussion questions inside 。。。more
Elena L。
，
When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami in 2011， she wonders how she will ever carry on。 Yet， in the face of this unthinkable loss， her life must somehow continue。 One day， Yui hears a story about a man on Whale mountain who has an old telephone booth in his garden with a disconnected phone inside。 People start coming from miles around to use this “wind phone” to find comfort and solace by calling their loved ones who have passed away。 Yui， then， decides to visit this phone booth a When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami in 2011， she wonders how she will ever carry on。 Yet， in the face of this unthinkable loss， her life must somehow continue。 One day， Yui hears a story about a man on Whale mountain who has an old telephone booth in his garden with a disconnected phone inside。 People start coming from miles around to use this “wind phone” to find comfort and solace by calling their loved ones who have passed away。 Yui， then， decides to visit this phone booth and meets Takeshi， a widower who has lost his wife。 Filled with quotes and written in short and dynamic chapters， we follow Yui as she navigates in a journey of healing and search of hope。 The story delivers multiple perspectives of people with shared bond who open up the details of their daily lives with those they have lost。I found the writing simplistic and would have liked more plot development。 Also I wish I had a deeper emotional connection with the characters。 That being said， what fascinated me the most was that this “wind phone” is an actual place visited by many all over the world。Inspired by true events， THE PHONE BOOTH AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD dives into the depths of grief and shows the human longing to keep the people who are no longer with us close to our hearts。[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Abrams books - in exchange for an honest review ] 。。。more
Katherine
，
GALAXY TERM
Simona
，
"In fondo era quanto ci si augurava per tutti， che un posto dove curare il dolore e rimarginarsi la vita ognuno se lo fabbricasse da sé， in un luogo che ognuno individuava diverso"。 Quando si subisce un lutto， ognuno prova， per quanto possibile， a sopravvivere， superare quel distacco e dolore in modi diversi。 Alcuni si aggrappano ai ricordi， altri tentano di sopravvivere portando con sé il fardello di quella perdita。 A Kujira-yama， in Giappone， esiste il giardino di Bell Guardia dove si trova il "In fondo era quanto ci si augurava per tutti， che un posto dove curare il dolore e rimarginarsi la vita ognuno se lo fabbricasse da sé， in un luogo che ognuno individuava diverso"。 Quando si subisce un lutto， ognuno prova， per quanto possibile， a sopravvivere， superare quel distacco e dolore in modi diversi。 Alcuni si aggrappano ai ricordi， altri tentano di sopravvivere portando con sé il fardello di quella perdita。 A Kujira-yama， in Giappone， esiste il giardino di Bell Guardia dove si trova il Telefono del vento， una cabina in cui le persone che hanno perso qualcuno possono "mettersi inn contatto" con i defunti in modo da sentirli più vicino。 Partendo da questo luogo che， come spiega la stessa scrittrice， non è una meta turistica， si tessono le fila raccontando il dolore di alcuni personaggi come Yui e Takeshi， la cui vita， come quella di altri， è stata travolta dallo tsunami de 2011。Per tutti loro， questo luogo rappresenta un modo per esorcizzare il dolore e， riuscire， almeno in parte， a conviverci。 La scrittrice， residente in Giappone， accoglie il lettore in questo luogo， ma per quanto affascinante， non riesce a emozionarmi。 Le emozioni e sentimenti rimangono in superficie， senza riuscire ad andare oltre dove diventa difficile anche affezionarsi。 。。。more
Amy
，
All I feel the need to say is this: this is， without a doubt， the most beautiful book I have ever read。
Maria Roxana
，
”Oricât timp ar trece， amintirea celor pe care i-am iubit nu îmbătrânește。 Numai noi îmbătrănim。””Lucrurile care ajung să îți lipsească cel mai mult de la cei care se duc sunt tocmai fixurile lor， fleacurile， lucrurile deranjante。””Doliul e ceva ce mănânci zi de zi， un sandvici dumicat în deplină tihnă， cu bucățica。 Astăzi un căpețel de pâine， un bob de orez uitat， mâine felia galbenă de lămâie。 Digestia era înceată。””Înăuntrul nostru avem întipărite amprentele oamenilor care ne-au învățat să iu ”Oricât timp ar trece， amintirea celor pe care i-am iubit nu îmbătrânește。 Numai noi îmbătrănim。””Lucrurile care ajung să îți lipsească cel mai mult de la cei care se duc sunt tocmai fixurile lor， fleacurile， lucrurile deranjante。””Doliul e ceva ce mănânci zi de zi， un sandvici dumicat în deplină tihnă， cu bucățica。 Astăzi un căpețel de pâine， un bob de orez uitat， mâine felia galbenă de lămâie。 Digestia era înceată。””Înăuntrul nostru avem întipărite amprentele oamenilor care ne-au învățat să iubim， să fim fericiți， cât și nefericiți。 Acei puțini oameni care ne explică cum să deosebim sentimentele， și cum să identificăm zonele hibride care ne fac să suferim， dar care ne fac totodată diferiți。 Diferiți și speciali。” 。。。more
VT
，
Za to knjigo si želim， da bi jo imela na polici。 Da bi jo lahko večkrat prebrala。 Zdi se lahkotno zapisana pripoved o usodah po cunamiju na Japonskem pred desetimi leti， a je knjiga predvsem čustveno nabita pripoved o življenju potem。 Ne želim je odložiti， a moram vmes globoko zadihati in vzeti odmor。 Priporočam v branje in razmislek。
Kathrin
，
A wonderful read on many levels。 Happy to have discovered it。
Lester Noel
，
A quirky Japanese book with a heart of gold。。。。it sounded interesting from the book blurb but and did not disappoint
Ann
，
I must admit。 I have been reading and listening to everything I can get my hands on re: kaze no denwa， the "wind phone。" Created by Itaru Sasaki in 2010 when he lost his cousin to cancer and sought a way to stay connected， the phone booth contains a disconnected rotary phone。 It sits in a garden。 Sasaki opened it to others after the March 11， 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that killed almost 20，000 people。 Laura Imai Messina's "The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World" tells the story of Yui I must admit。 I have been reading and listening to everything I can get my hands on re: kaze no denwa， the "wind phone。" Created by Itaru Sasaki in 2010 when he lost his cousin to cancer and sought a way to stay connected， the phone booth contains a disconnected rotary phone。 It sits in a garden。 Sasaki opened it to others after the March 11， 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that killed almost 20，000 people。 Laura Imai Messina's "The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World" tells the story of Yui， a young woman who has lost her mother and daughter to the tsunami。 Yui， experiencing grief as well as survivor's guilt， makes a pilgrimage to the wind phone， where she meets others united in their varying stages and species of loss and grief。 I loved the intermittant chapters that tightened the focus on lists and character-specific details。 They were brief enough to allow me to pause and digest what the main character/s were experiencing， and they deepened my understanding of the characters。 I also loved the aspects of Japanese culture woven throughout the novel。 I recently saw this novel on a Book Riot list: REFLECTIONS AND A READING LIST FOR THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE， TSUNAMI， AND NUCLEAR DISASTER。 It absolutely belongs up front on that list， but it also belongs among lists for books about grief， books about contemporary Japanese culture， and great books in translation （as this was translated from the original Italian）。 [Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。] 。。。more
Nadia Giuliani
，
Una carezza al cuore
Michelle Ryles
，
What an incredibly moving book！ I didn't realise how much it had affected me until I was telling someone about it and I became quite emotional。 This book feels like two sides of the same coin as whilst it's predominantly about loss and grief， it's also about love and hope。 The writing is so beautiful that I highlighted several passages whilst I was reading so I could return to them and re-experience the beauty all over again。 "Death， in this place， felt like a beautiful thing。" Yui and Takeshi ar What an incredibly moving book！ I didn't realise how much it had affected me until I was telling someone about it and I became quite emotional。 This book feels like two sides of the same coin as whilst it's predominantly about loss and grief， it's also about love and hope。 The writing is so beautiful that I highlighted several passages whilst I was reading so I could return to them and re-experience the beauty all over again。 "Death， in this place， felt like a beautiful thing。" Yui and Takeshi are both grieving and they meet after making the journey to Bell Gardia in search of the wind phone。 Takeshi is comforted by talking on the phone to his wife whereas Yui is happy to sit peacefully in the garden。 Yui and Takeshi make monthly journeys to Bell Gardia where they come into contact with a variety of different characters。 I loved reading all the different stories that showed grief in its many forms and reminded us that everyone grieves differently。"。。。everybody's grief looked the same at first but was， ultimately， unique。" The structure of the book is really interesting; there are alternating chapters listing or detailing seemingly mundane things which I found a bit odd at first， but it reminded me that it's the little things that often mean the most。 I used these chapters as an emotional anchor， giving me a chance to order my thoughts after reading some highly emotional stories。"。。。when people disappear from our everyday lives， it doesn't mean they vanish completely。" Yui lost her mother and daughter in the devastating tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March 2011， killing more than 18，000 people。 Both the visual and emotional impact of the tsunami is explored in the book and I found it incredibly poignant。 The bodies of Yui's family were found and identified but there are so many more who still remain missing today and I just can't imagine how this must feel for their families。"And if you didn't see them one last time， the grief had no end。"I find it quite amazing that the 'The Wind Phone' is a true story and throughout the book I was overcome with admiration for the man who welcomes strangers to his garden to use it; strangers who no doubt become friends。 It's such a lovely thing to do and proves that some people are completely selfless and genuinely kind; I'm sure there aren't many of us who would welcome thousands of strangers trampling through our garden。"Perhaps it doesn't do any harm， she thought， to continue talking to those who are no longer with us。" Beautifully written and completely breathtaking， The Phone Box at the Edge of the World is a stunning novel and one I will return to again and again。 Unforgettable and extraordinary， it's a book that speaks to the heart and soul of anyone who has loved and lost。Many thanks to Manilla Press for sending me an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; this is my honest and unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Mojca Rudolf
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Že pred leti sem na nekem seminarju izvedela zanimivost， da kakor smo ljudje različnih tipov （slušni， vidni， čutni。。）， tako so tudi knjige teh tipov; eden boljših primerov je knjiga Parfum。Morda je to vzrok， da se s knjigo Telefon v vetru že od vsega začetka nisva našli。 Motilo me je res precej stvari， tako da sem iz strani v stran postajala vse bolj kritična。 Zgodba se mi je zdela preveč preskakujoča， sploh v razmišljanjih。 Povedi， kot recimo tale: Takeshi se je spomnil， kako je bila njegova ma Že pred leti sem na nekem seminarju izvedela zanimivost， da kakor smo ljudje različnih tipov （slušni， vidni， čutni。。）， tako so tudi knjige teh tipov; eden boljših primerov je knjiga Parfum。Morda je to vzrok， da se s knjigo Telefon v vetru že od vsega začetka nisva našli。 Motilo me je res precej stvari， tako da sem iz strani v stran postajala vse bolj kritična。 Zgodba se mi je zdela preveč preskakujoča， sploh v razmišljanjih。 Povedi， kot recimo tale: Takeshi se je spomnil， kako je bila njegova mati ves čas v debatah z očetom， ki je umrl， ko je bilo njej štirideset let， on pa， ki jo je vzel po svojem petdesetem， jih je imel dvajset več。 Porabila sem nekaj dolgih minut， da sem ga študirala， in še zdaj ne vem ali sem ugotovila starost。。。 Odvečna so mi bila poglavja vmes; recimo definicija družine， in potem stavek napisan v japonščini; izvrini naslov neke knjige; itd。 Ne vidim smisla v teh poglavjih pravzaprav。Prav tako so me zmotile primerjave z organi， ki jih posojamo drugim。。。Meni je bilo to tuje。Možno， ampak malce za lase privlečeno， da deklica spregovori po dveh letih， le da pride do Telefona。。。 in še nekaj neskladij se mi je prikradlo med knjigo， a ne bi naštevala vseh，Morda skozi celo knjigo vse preveč prispodb， da bi si jih lahko zapomnila in precej stvari kar malce preveč zakompliciranih; mnogo odstavkov ali samih povedi je zahtevalo večkratno branje。Zgodba sama oziroma ideja pravzaprav je bila všečna， a končna slika knjige mi dejansko res ni bila všeč。 Po vseh ocenah sem pričakovala nekaj drugega。 。。。more
Anna Loder
，
Such a lovely， whimsical read， I did really enjoy it x it’s a gentle， really soft， slow read。 I probably was comparing to The Emporium of Imagination。。they do have similar subject subject matter but they are completely different books。
Emma
，
A very enjoyable story， based around true events， with some different and interesting characters。The friendship between Yui and Takeshi was really sweet and it was nice to see how so many of the people visiting the phone box became important to one another for different reasons。Although many parts of the book were surrounded by sadness， it didn't feel like it was quite as emotional as I would have expected it to be。 A very enjoyable story， based around true events， with some different and interesting characters。The friendship between Yui and Takeshi was really sweet and it was nice to see how so many of the people visiting the phone box became important to one another for different reasons。Although many parts of the book were surrounded by sadness， it didn't feel like it was quite as emotional as I would have expected it to be。 。。。more
Susana Fonseca
，