From the bestselling Japanese author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes Heaven, a sharp and illuminating novel about bullying and friendship.
‘Mieko Kawakami is always ceaselessly growing and evolving’ – Haruki Murakami, author of Norwegian Wood
Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize.
TIME''s 100 Must-Read Books of the Year.
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.
‘Mieko Kawakami is a genius’ – Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
‘An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence’ – Vogue
Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.
