The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino

I recently read my first book this year - The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino - and oh wow, it was outstanding! I love it so much that it is now one of my favorites of all time (and it may very well be my absolute favorite).

I discovered it when I was looking for possible books to include in Secret Santa wishlist last Christmas. I realized that it's been a while since I read a suspense thriller so I searched for fiction novels in this category in Fully Booked online. A few books by Keigo Higashino came up in my search. As I looked through them, The Miracles of The Namiya General Store kept popping up as a related book because it had the same author. The title made me curious so I clicked on the link and checked out its description:

“From exactly midnight until daybreak, the Namiya General Store advice box will be reopening for one night only.”

When three delinquents hole up in an abandoned general store after their most recent robbery, to their great surprise, a letter drops through the mail slot in the store’s shutter. This seemingly simple request for advice sets the trio on a journey of discovery as, over the course of a single night, they step into the role of the kindhearted former shopkeeper who devoted his waning years to offering thoughtful counsel to his correspondents. Through the lens of time, they share insight with those seeking guidance, and by morning, none of their lives will ever be the same.

As soon as I read this, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to get my own copy. I couldn't add it to my wishlist though because it was out of stock in Fully Booked. Thankfully, it was available on Amazon so I decided to buy it there.

The author, Keigo Higashino, is Japanese so his work had to be translated to English. I have so many thoughts on this novel and why I find it to be utterly sublime and incredibly powerful. It has themes of dreams and hopes and love and even, to some degree, regret. I guess all these really go hand in hand. The people to whom the letters are written, the sequence of letters, the series of events, and how the story flows across time and space all just tie up so elaborately and yet so neatly together. It was such a journey to read different stories from different people across generations and how their lives intersect in transformative and surprising ways.

I will say that the climax was a bit predictable for me, although it was the only thing I predicted (maybe reading all the previous twists and turns in this novel made me start expecting the unexpected). That said, the final letter - I won't share who wrote it and to whom it was written - was such a powerfully moving revelation that left me in awe once I finally put the book down.

I will also say that the chapter that affected me the most was the second one. As soon as I finished it, I found myself tearing up at the cafe where I was reading. It's the first time I cried because of a book. Even now, when I think about it, I am still deeply affected. I won't say anything more than that because I don't want to spoil it but needless to say, it was extremely emotional.

At 314 pages, it's a relatively short book. That, and the fact that it's such a beautiful novel that I just couldn't put down, allowed me to finish reading it in just one day, which is very rare for me. I started this blog post saying The Miracles of the Namiya General Store may very well be my favorite book that I've read. In fact, I raved about it so much that another friend got it for herself too. If you have a chance to get a copy of this book and/or read it, please do so. I very highly recommend it.