What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

April 1, 2023

Tokyo librarian Sayuri Komachi always asks what patrons are looking for, but because she is as good at reading people as she is at reading books, she always gives them a book they really need. Here we meet some of her patrons and see how her recommendations have changed their lives. A Japanese best seller. Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2023
A series of interlocking vignettes follow Tokyo residents who find themselves at the local library. The Hatori Community House is located adjacent to an elementary school. It houses meeting rooms, a kitchen, and a library. Small but well stocked and boasting a full-time reference librarian, it is this room--and the librarian, Sayuri Komachi--around which each of the stories rotates. All of the library's patrons are floundering, and a few words and a book recommendation from Ms. Komachi, as well as a little "bonus gift," set them on the path to seeing more clearly what it is that they hold valuable. (Think a fictional Marie Kondo who doesn't recommend paring down a life cluttered with fears but rather helps a person discover their own way forward.) There is Tomoka, 21, who left her small country town for junior college in Tokyo and now works in the womenswear department of a local general store, feeling unfulfilled and adrift. Ryo, 35, works in the accounts department of a furniture manufacturer but has long dreamed of opening an antiques shop while being terrified of the uncertainty of such a venture. Hiroya, 30, unemployed and living with her mother, trained as an illustrator but has too much anxiety to find and keep a permanent job. Natsumi, 40, a former magazine editor, feels sidelined after returning early from maternity leave after having found herself unexpectedly pregnant at 37. And Masao, 65 and newly retired, finds himself adrift after 42 years of focusing solely on his work to the detriment of hobbies, social connections, and his relationships with his wife and child. Each character is wrought with care, as are their blossoming realizations about how their futures can develop despite their worries. A delightful, gentle unfolding of stories that offer hope and joy to those who find themselves in a pivotal moment in life.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2023
Set in contemporary Tokyo, this uplifting debut novel follows five characters at challenging crossroads in their lives. Each one finds a way forward at their neighborhood library, where an enigmatic librarian has an almost supernatural talent for connecting readers and books. In a series of spare, elegantly written scenes, we meet Tomoka, 21, who works in a department store and worries that her life has no direction. Next is 35-year-old Ryo, an accountant who dreams of owning an antique shop. Natsumi, 40, must juggle her career with motherhood and yearns to be a book editor. Hiroya, 30, unemployed and living with his mother, wants to be an artist. At 65, newly retired Masao feels lacking in purpose. Their different ages and problems broaden the appeal to a wide variety of readers. What they find at the library sets each one on an optimistic new path, shifting their perspective and reminding them to follow their hearts. A comforting read filled with serendipity and simple wisdom, this is a celebration of community, connection, and the transformative power of libraries.

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Starred review from December 22, 2023

Originally published in Japan in 2020, this best-selling novel has been translated into over 20 languages. Set around a local community center near an elementary school, each of the five chapters is narrated in first person and describe how a librarian, Sayuri Komachi, comes to transform the narrator's life. After each reference interview, Komachi presents a list of book recommendations, plus a random felted object that she has made (a frying pan, a cat, a globe, a plane, a crab). The magical part of each story is how these objects perfectly tie in with each patron's outcome and how every booklist includes a title that seems a bit out of sync with the original query but comes to play a big part in helping patrons find what they are looking for. VERDICT Aoyama's story is reminiscent of positively told stories, which could be made into an episode of The Twilight Zone, with the librarian as the main protagonist working her magic in each encounter. The storytelling is engaging, much like Sayaka Murata's Convenience Store Woman, making this book a fast read. Bibliophiles and book groups looking for a feel-good story will certainly find it here.--Shirley Quan

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.