Prolific Japanese author Hika Harada's delicious U.S. debut, Dinner at the Night Library, arrives notably translated by lauded Philip Gabriel. "Thirty [is] just around the corner" for Otoha Higuchi, an only child whose parents worry about her singlehood and lack of "a decent job." Strangers often ask if she was named after writer Ichiyo Higuchi, suggesting a predestined bookish career.
After temporary employment at a bookstore, Otoha is hired by the anonymous owner of the titular "Night Library" at the end of a three-hour Zoom interview. Of course, this isn't a typical library: it's only open 7 p.m. to midnight. The library's books are "from the personal collections of deceased writers, which are donated... after their passing"; patrons may visit collections but never borrow volumes. When Otoha arrives for her first day, manager Sasai seems initially curt but shows he is playful and thoughtful by day's end. The rest of the staff, too, are kind and welcoming, their warm camaraderie encouraged by exquisite late-night dinners inspired by literary meals, created by barista-turned-chef Kinoshita.
Harada uplifts librarians and booksellers, celebrating their dedication to the written word on the page. While Otoha is the primary narrator, Otoha's colleagues also share their backstories--of becoming unable to read, rescuing old books, once upon a time being a reluctant reader. Books and reading help heal each member of the library's staff (and a few patrons) in numerous ways. Working at the Night Library proves to be so much more than just another job. --Terry Hong