Charming. Feel good. Oddly satisfying. A Cozy comfort read. If you ask me to summarize this book in one word or sentence, perhaps these exact phrases would pop into my mind.
This collection of short stories is set in the bustling city of Tokyo. Besides the aforementioned library in the title, there are other elements common across these stories that we come to know as the book progresses. These are diverse but interconnected stories of five people struggling in their daily lives either personally or professionally.
The book begins with Tomoka Fujiki, a shop assistant in her early twenties, who is disappointed with her career trajectory and feels hopeless about future prospects. She moved out of her little village with a certain ambition to study and work in Tokyo, but only one of those objectives has been successfully fulfilled. She is not making much progress in her professional journey so far and has already lost all hope of getting a head start in the right direction. But she comes across the mysterious library at the Hatori Community House, and her entire outlook towards her life changes dramatically.
Next, we meet Ryo Urase, who is an accomplished accountant with a stable career. But he sees no progress in his career and feels like it is keeping him away from his true passion of being an antique seller. He feels more dejected when he sees his much younger girlfriend, Hina, making confident progress by turning her passion into a meaningful work opportunity. But as soon as he walks into the Hatori Community House, he gets that missing boost of confidence to take charge of his career and carve a niche for his passion.
This story is followed by a familiar tale of Natsumi Sakitani, who regrets her decision of late motherhood and taking time off from her career, as it has resulted in an unwanted transfer to another department. This has shaken her belief in her career and makes her question her role as a wife, mother, and career woman. It only takes a visit to the Hatori Community House and accidentally meeting an old colleague to turn her life around positively, thereby enabling her to steer her career in the desired direction.
The next story also narrates the dejection and disappointment of Hiroya Suda, who could not land the coveted career option he so wanted, and now he has lost all hope in life. He is also suffering from depressing thoughts at home as he feels left behind in life in comparison to his peers and a more successful brother. Then he takes up a part-time temporary job at the Hatori Community House instead of sitting unemployed at home, and that changes the trajectory of his whole life. Not only did he gain confidence by earning money after such a long time, but it also opened doors to follow his passion for drawing.
Finally, we come to the story of Masao Gonno, who, after retirement, finds a new meaning in his life to fill the empty stretches of time thanks to the Hatori Community House.
Since these are more or less straightforward stories with a hidden moral lesson in them, there is hardly any case of giving spoilers. Still, these are excellent stories to read, except the last one, if you need an emotional boost. These charming characters with their diverse background who finally end up finding their rainbows in predictably unique circumstances will also melt your hearts.
Go pick this up if you want a relief from the constant stress and anxiety of modern life. Who knows, you might find a mysterious library in your own community. Happy Reading!!