The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

THE LISTENERS is a mix of historical fiction, sprinkled with magic, and romance as well as being the adult debut from the best-selling young adult author Maggie Stiefvater (Shiver, The Raven Boys, All the Crooked Saints and many more). Set in the early 1940s during WWII, the focus is on a fictional West Virginian resort hotel called the Avallon (think The Greenbrier or The Homestead) where the extremely capable general manager is a young, local woman named June Hudson. Through compassion and understanding, she fosters the loyalty and affection of her staff and even many of the hotel guests: “June had long ago discovered that most people were bad listeners; they thought listening was synonymous with hearing. But the spoken was only half a conversation. True needs, wants, fears, and hopes hid not in the words that were said, but in the ones that weren't...” Friction ensues when FBI agents (Tucker Rye Minnick, Hugh Calloway, and Pony Harris) and State Department (Benjamin Pennybacker) representatives arrive because the hotel is ordered to provide lodging for an array of diplomats (German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese), their staff, and other foreign nationals (journalists, pilots) prior to their being repatriated. It is a big ask for locals, many of whom have relatives serving in the US military, but June facilitates the stay while also mourning the recently deceased hotel owner, navigating her own romantic feelings, and managing the magical waters associated with the hotel. THE LISTENERS, the Top Pick LibraryReads selection for June 2025, received a starred review from Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus (“A novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place.”). In the author’s notes, Stiefvater suggests several other books to serve as “accessible starting points” about the background history. 

Four Mothers by Abigail Leonard

FOUR MOTHERS by Abigail Leonard is subtitled “An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries.” And Leonard, an award-winning journalist, contrasts giving birth and raising a young child in Japan, Kenya, Finland, and the United States. Leonard cleverly shares events and policies, often providing important political background for each country. The personal stories, particularly conflicts with parents and partners, are compelling, although I did question how representative they were (especially the polyamory relationship in the US). Taken together, they point to the advantages for children in a nuclear family with two involved parents (and maybe other relatives as well), showing the impact of societal expectations and gender roles. This research should give other scholars and policy makers much to consider in terms of paid maternity and paternity leave, daycare availability and cost, other incentives (tax, etc.) for families, and both physical and mental healthcare. In its starred review for FOUR MOTHERS Publishers Weekly says, “This is an enthralling and kaleidoscopic view of modern motherhood.” Here is a recent interview with Abigail Leonard from PBS NewsHour:

What You Are Looking For Is In The Library

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY by Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts) is an international bestselling novel that profiles five library patrons: a womenswear sales assistant, an accountant with big dreams, a working Mom seeking balance, an underemployed young man and a recently retired one; all are seeking purpose and fulfillment in some form. Sayuri Komachi is the librarian in Tokyo who makes reading recommendations and transforms the life trajectories of her patrons in this gentle story. She answers their requests (e.g., books on the game, Go, or on software coding), but also encourages connections with unrelated titles. This short novel is a joy to read. Aoyama speaks to readers as her characters reflect:

“If you wait for the right time to make connections, it might never happen, but if you show your face around, talk to people and see enough to give you the confidence that things could work out, then ‘one day’ might turn into ‘tomorrow’.”

“I'm still searching. Searching for somewhere I can be accepted as I am. Just one place is all I need. Somewhere to be at peace.”

“How much had my own thinking limited my opportunities?”

“Is this the secret then? If you throw yourself into doing the things you like, it's possible to live a happy, healthy life...”

“You told me that if you only ever look in front, your view will be quite narrow. So whenever I feel stuck or don't know what to do, I try to broaden my view. Relax my shoulders and walk sideways like a crab.”  

“My plan is to appreciate every new day. And take a wide view of things.”   

The Heartbeat Library by Laura Imai Messina

THE HEARTBEAT LIBRARY by Laura Imai Messina (The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World) is a quiet, reflective novel set in Japan. Much of the story centers around the title library “where the heartbeats of visitors from all around the world are collected” on the Teshima island.  Key characters include Shuichi, a 40-year-old illustrator, and a young elementary school student named Kenta, both of whom are mourning Shuichi’s mother. They gradually build a trust and affection for each other and widen their circle to include Sayaka, a love interest for Shuichi. In its starred review Booklist describes THE HEARTBEAT LIBRARY as “a beautiful meditation on grief and healing.”  The story moves slowly, but there is much to contemplate:

“Life is a succession of shipwrecks. … Because upon arrival on the beach, whatever the existence that preceded it was like, it is now memory. No matter how much pain we have accumulated, life begins again.”

“He smiled. He realized this was how you know you care about someone: when you see them where they aren't.”

“…love is never alone fear is always right beside it.”

As an aside, this book called to mind another favorite book with heartbeat in the title: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats; look for it and others by Jan-Philipp Sendker.

You are Here: Connecting Flights

I do not often write about books for late elementary and middle school, but this one is so exceptional it deserves the effort: YOU ARE HERE: CONNECTING FLIGHTS edited by Ellen Oh. In this collection, twelve authors (including award winners like Traci Chee, Linda Sue Park, and Randy Ribay to name a few) have crafted an interconnected set of short stories. They take place at fictional Chicago Gateway International Airport during a storm that results in numerous delays. The young characters are all Asian American, with travel plans and family backgrounds related to a variety of countries (China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). Each child or teen faces some sort of discrimination and/or rude comments from other passengers or airport employees, BUT each grows and steps up to confront the racist situation. That repetition felt potentially triggering for young readers, although it clearly was empowering, too. I think it would be fascinating to know more about the Zoom planning sessions between these very talented authors – many of the stories occur simultaneously and refer to a central character of another story which is intriguing and could be a fun puzzle for student readers to display graphically. In addition to their geographic cultural heritage, the characters are diverse in terms of religion, learning differences like autism or musical ability, and family situation (e.g., two dads, grandparents, only child, sibling responsibilities, etc.) – reflecting the life circumstances of the intended audience as well as a theme of belonging and connection. YOU ARE HERE: CONNECTING FLIGHTS received starred reviews from Booklist (“consistently engaging and rewarding”), Kirkus (“compelling and nuanced”), and Publishers Weekly (“artfully conceived and executed”).

The Cat who Saved Books

THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS by best-selling Japanese author Sosuke Natsukawa has a very clever cover which instantly conveys both the Asian influence and the fantasy element of this story.  The main character (aside from the talking cat) is a young, immature high school aged boy, Rintaro Natsuki, who lives in Japan and inherits his grandfather’s bookshop. He struggles to adjust to life without much adult support and follows the magical cat to multiple labyrinths where books are imprisoned, severely edited, or discarded if they are unlikely to be profitable.  An introvert who is wise beyond his years, Natsuki encourages those involved to see books from a different perspective and to appreciate them for the power they have.  That part of the book is lovely, thought-provoking, and even somewhat humorous.  However, a neighborhood girl begins to share the adventures and that blossoming attraction adds little to the story of Rintaro’s coming of age and willingness to take risks.  The premise is intriguing, especially for book lovers, but the pace is a bit slow and the ending less dramatic than it could be. Overall, THE CAT WHO SAVED BOOKS is a fun, undemanding read – it was an Indie Next pick and a December 2021 LibraryReads selection.

Silent Parade by Keigo Higashino

SILENT PARADE by Keigo Higashino is book 4 in the Detective Galileo series by this award-winning Japanese author. Higashino’s work is routinely highly rated and praised and I had already enjoyed The Newcomer a few years ago. However, I found SILENT PARADE to be rather slow even though the premise of the story was unique and held my attention for a while. Booklist describes this novel as “leisurely paced” while Library Journal and Publishers Weekly gave it starred reviews. Tokyo Chief Inspector Kusanagi returns with his friend (and amateur detective) physics professor Manabu Yukawa to try to solve a locked room puzzle: Was a murderer murdered? How? And by whom? Which of many suspects had the best opportunity and motive? Or were they working in cooperation? This translation provides a lengthy list of characters and numerous twists and turns as Yukawa, employing scientific reasoning, develops and refines a variety of hypotheses. Try it for yourself and decide. 

Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

CLARK AND DIVISION by Edgar Award winner Naomi Hirahara is a mystery contained within a work of historical fiction. The timing is during WWII and while the story begins on the West Coast near Los Angeles, the characters are mainly Japanese Americans so the action moves first to one of the camps, Manzanar, and then on to Chicago where many are encouraged to relocate. The female protagonists are two sisters, Rose and Aki Ito, who are young and naïve, but also very determined. Rose heads to Chicago before the rest of the family and sadly dies just before they arrive. Aki wants to find out more details and gradually (the pace is slow at times) unravels the mystery while also re-acclimating to life outside the camps. Several other young people help her, but these other characters, especially male friends, did not seem as well-developed or distinguishable as they could have been. There are some twists in this amateur sleuth story and its real strength is being such an informative read – especially about life in Chicago for transplants in the 1940s. Seemingly casual references make clear the many instances of hostility and discrimination that existed widely at that time for both women and people of color.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World

An international bestseller, THE PHONE BOOTH AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

by Laura Imai Messina is one of my most favorite books of the year.  I honestly had thought it would be a bit morbid, but instead I found Messina’s English debut to be a beautiful story of hope that I did not want to end.  Messina, who has lived in Japan for 15 years, explains to her readers about the disconnected phone booth that exists in Otsuchi, Japan. Conceived as a means for speaking “on the wind” with deceased loved ones, especially those killed in the March 2011 tsunami, the phone booth sits at the bottom of a garden. It draws people from around the world, including Messina’s fictional characters: Yui has lost her daughter and mother and Takeshi has lost his wife.  They meet multiple times at the phone booth, gradually learning about each other and rebuilding their lives. This is an emotional story – filled with grief, and growing trust, and dreams, and love. With so much death and despair in the past year, THE PHONE BOOTH AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD shows that while still remembering loved ones, healing exists; there is promise and potential in the future. Highly recommended.  

For more on the phone booth itself and the aftermath of the tsunami (10 years ago today), please see coverage from the BBC, NPR’s This American Life, and Reuters.