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Review: The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World

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I picked up The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World on a whim: the cover is exquisite, and the title intrigued me.  I knew nothing beyond the blurb: the phone booth was real, and the author’s name did not appear to be traditional Japanese.    In fact, the Italian novelist, Laura Imai Messina, was born and raised in Rome. The book was written in Italian and translated into English. Messina earned advanced college degrees at Japanese universities and has lived in Japan for 15 years. Her husband is Japanese, and they have two children. Messina’s middle name translates from Japanese to “new residence” or “new well.” She does not appear to be native Japanese, but I trusted her to tell the story. I am glad I did. This is such an understated, gorgeously written book, I am at a loss as to where to start. It is filled not just with loss — people travel to Bell Gardia to connect with lost loved ones — but with love, hope, surprises, and acceptance. Grief is a personal journey, and in our own g