In the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami that followed a 9.0 earthquake, 20,000 lives were lost, and an untold number of families were devastated by the loss, a loss that continues to haunt these families. Yui, a young woman, is one who lost loved ones, family. Her daughter and her mother, both. Her sorrow is palpable, but is shared by the many people who call in to share their stories at the radio station where she works.

And if she had said it out loud, Takeshi would have told her the truth. That love is a miracle. Even the second time around. Even when it comes to you by mistake.” The central character of The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World was Yui. Yui was a woman that had everything, including a mother and daughter that she loved dearly. Their death in the 2011 tsunami changed her life irrevocably. Yui decides to join the many who make the long trek to Belle Gardia to speak to her beloved family members. Instead, Yui finds an unexpected friend in Takeshi. Takeshi was a doctor and a widow. His beloved wife, Akiko perished in the disaster. Hanna, Takeshi’s daughter, was deeply affected by the loss of her mother as she has not spoken since that day. When Yui meets the father and daughter, all their lives will be changed forever. Bonnier Books UK has announced a novel inspired by the true story of Japan's2011 tsunami for its new literary imprint, Manilla Press. Each main chapter in the book is separated by concise interluding chapters that act as random fragmented memories. A receipt for a frame, a description of an object, a list of the ten most vivid memories of a person, what Yui’s mother and daughter were wearing on the morning of 11 March 2011, Yui’s favourite Brazilian songs, the original title of the picture book on the afterlife that Yui gave to Hana. The emotional context of the story is very delicately drawn, and the interactions between characters are inviting, with a cautious and fragile dialogue.She scrutinized the water intensely; she hadn't looked at anything else for weeks. She was convinced that in there she would find the answer. E così per elaborare il lutto, su una collina, installarono una cabina telefonica bianca, con un telefono vero, ma senza fili: questa è una cabina telefonica molto particolare, è un luogo dove sfogarsi, dove imparare a convivere con il dolore della perdita di una persona cara. It is connected to nowhere, however talking via the phone allows people to feel connected with their lost loved ones, with the hope that their thoughts will be delivered to them. Die Telefonzelle am Ende der Welt“, geschrieben von Laura Imai Messina ist eine Geschichte, die mich vollends berührt hat. Die Autorin greift hier eine wirklich tiefe Thematik, die der Trauer, des Neuanfangs, des Loslassens und einfach des Lebens, mit all seinem Licht und Schatten auf und verknüpft das ganze eben mit wahren Ereignissen und eben der Telefonzelle, am Ende der Welt... die es wirklich gibt und ein ganz besonderer Ort für viele Menschen ist, die ihren Toten geliebten Menschen gedenken, die noch nicht loslassen können und diese Telefonzelle als wichtigen Ort nutzen, um Abschied zu nehmen. Aber eben auch um neue Kraft zu schöpfen. Und so tauchte ich in diese Geschichte ein, tief bewegt, tief berührt und mit unzähligen Tränen in den Augen und doch dem Gefühl der Zuversicht, der Geborgenheit und der Hoffnung und Liebe im Herzen. The feeling of being connected provides those people with support to find the strength and power to move forward. It is a place where each person can tend to their pain and heal their wounds.

Yui lost her mother and daughter in the tsunami, and in the days following the catastrophe, she lived in a shelter with other survivors. Her existence was confined to a mat, and she was joined in her grief by a man who carried around an empty picture frame, observing the world through its void. As Yui begins to live again while trying to heal from her pain, she hears of the disconnected telephone that carries people’s words to the dead. Mesmerising . . . beautiful . . . a joy to read' - Joanna Glen, Costa shortlisted author of The Other Half of Augusta Hopemyself becoming the person I was before, my wife listening to me from the kitchen, busy preparing breakfast or dinner, me grumbling that the coffee burned my tongue.