Stunningly Beautiful

The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World by Laura Imai Messina is a stunningly beautiful book about grief and love and life. Whilst it is a novel, it has its roots in reality as it is based on the actual phone box at Bell Gardia in Japan.

There is nothing magical about the phone box but it does have healing properties for those who go there. Those who are grief stricken, pick up the phone, talk into it, and the wind carries their messages of hope.

In Bell Gardia faith and hope are alive. People believe there must be more to life than what we can see, feel and hear. In Bell Gardia guilt and fears are put aside as love and hope arise. “When we go up that hill to Suzuki san’s garden, we’re trying to get our shadows back.” People are trying to grab hold of their pasts and bring back hope to their shattered lives.

Many people make the journey to Bell Gardia – those who have lost parents, children, loved ones. “We’re still parents even when our children are no longer here.” As they release their voices to the wind, they are believing they will be heard.