Book: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

[elusivek]

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line
Hiro Arikawa (author), Allison Markin Powell (translator)
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Welcome aboard the Hankyu Line train!

Come along on a heartwarming, funny, and perfectly cozy voyage with the charming and relatable passengers—including one dashing dachshund—whose lives intersect and affect each other on one of Japan’s most romantic railway lines from international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.

Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outward journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.

A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself, a woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad, a university student heads home after class, a girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend, and an old lady discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.

With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.

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I mean, I get what the author was trying to go for: slice of life of a series (or “sets”) of characters. Starting with the train line going one way, then 6 months or a year later (I also took some time to finish so forgot the small details) the other way back, and a follow up on the characters. It was a cute, easygoing read.

I particularly enjoyed the library “rivals” story, the grandma story, and the wedding dress lady story. The dog only shows up by the end of the book with very little “screen time”, so I was scammed into reading the book LOL coz there was a dachshund on the cover.

Cute, could have been quick read, but I was in a slump and dragged it on.

Comments

[gilda_elise]

I does sound like a nice read. Too bad the dog doesn't have a bigger role.