The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park

The brand new novel by the author of

WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IS IN THE LIBRARY

now available in translation

___________

Readers adore

Healing Hippo

:

'

I wanted to discover the magical

hippo in myself

as I read this book' *****

'How does Aoyama depict human emotion so

vividly

? I imagined

myself

in this book' *****

'I almost

wept

on my train home from work' *****

'It

gripped my heart

. I wish there was a magical hippo near my home' *****

'Whenever I feel hurt, I want to

re-read

this wonderful book' *****

______________

'Kabahiko is an amazing hippo. People say that if you touch the area of his body that you want to make better on yours, he'll provide a cure'

Nestling at the bottom of a five-storey apartment block is the children's playground, Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community.

Meet the neighbours who will reach out to kabahiko:

-

Kanato

presses his head to the hippo's cheek, hoping to recover the stellar marks he once scored;

-

Sawa

, a lonely new mother, strokes its mouth, hopes to connect as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant;

-

Chiharu,

a wedding-planner, hopes to be able to listen for the happiness of others;

-

Yuya

avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain.

- despite

Kazuhiko

'

s fading eyes from too much editorial work, he will learn to see life's everyday wonders.

A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart.