Heaven by Mieko Kawakami
Info:
Translated from Japanese by David Boyd.
Paperback, May 2022.
Publisher: Pan MacMillan
ISBN: 9781509898251
In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye.
Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever.
But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?
Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent.
Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying.
About the author
Mieko Kawakami is the acclaimed author of the international bestseller Breasts and Eggs. Born in Osaka, Japan, Kawakami made her literary debut as a poet and published her first novella, My Ego, My Teeth, and the World, in 2007. Her books, translated into over 20 languages, are known for their poetic qualities, insights into the female body, and preoccupation with ethics and modern society. Kawakami’s literary awards include the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Murasaki Shikibu Prize. Heaven, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd, is on the shortlist for the 2022 International Booker Prize. Her most recent novel that has been translated into English is All the Lovers in the Night. She lives in Tokyo.