Heaven

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. TIME’s 100 Must-Read Books of the Year. From the bestselling Japanese author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, comes a sharp and illuminating novel about adolescent violence and friendship.

In Heaven, 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’ – VogueTranslated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.