Out on 13 May 2027
The Island of Lost Letters
Laura Imai Messina
Translated by Lucy Rand
Pre-order now
13 May 2027
Imprint: Manilla Press
Synopsis
Off the coast of Japan lies the small island of Awashima, home to a tiny post office that gathers letters sent without addresses. Letters to lost loves, lost objects and moments in time now lost forever.
Risa arrives in Awashima on a cold, clear morning. She has offered to help at a small, neglected post office, unique for collecting undeliverable correspondence from Japan and around the world. It is an immense task, but Risa does it out of love. Her father was an unconventional postman with one mission: to ensure nothing was ever truly lost. And from a very young age, she admired his dedication as he searched for missing recipients, tracked down lost addresses, and carefully preserved letters, so they wouldn't be destroyed.
But Risa carries her own secrets. The real reason for her presence in Awashima is personal. She suspects that among the thousands of letters, there are some that are meant for her . . .
Risa arrives in Awashima on a cold, clear morning. She has offered to help at a small, neglected post office, unique for collecting undeliverable correspondence from Japan and around the world. It is an immense task, but Risa does it out of love. Her father was an unconventional postman with one mission: to ensure nothing was ever truly lost. And from a very young age, she admired his dedication as he searched for missing recipients, tracked down lost addresses, and carefully preserved letters, so they wouldn't be destroyed.
But Risa carries her own secrets. The real reason for her presence in Awashima is personal. She suspects that among the thousands of letters, there are some that are meant for her . . .
Details
13 May 2027
352 pages
9781786587121
Imprint: Manilla Press
Reviews
“A story of words, lost and found”Marie Claire, Marie Claire
“[A] unique and inspired writer”Andrea Bajani, author of The Anniversary, Andrea Bajani, author of The Anniversary
“Who would not want a place to send all those letters we do not know or do not dare to send? Laura Imai Messina glides and dives, powerfully but also gently, into pain, hope and love”Antonella Lattanzi, author of Things That Go Unspoken, Antonella Lattanzi, author of Things That Go Unspoken
“[Laura Imai Messina writes] with a rhythm all her own: a music that is able to heal every wound. And in all this she is unique”Alba Donati, author of Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop, Alba Donati, author of Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop









