HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART

Now older and wiser, the go-between continues to reunite the living and dead.

Set seven years after Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon (2025), Tsujimura’s sequel follows Ayumi, the mysterious go-between, as he continues his work arranging fated meetings between the living and the dead. Now a young man working as a toy designer in Tokyo, Ayumi must balance his real-world and beyond-the-real-world responsibilities. More mature and capable in his role, he helps five different people. An up-and-coming actor tries to set up a meeting for a friend—a familiar face from the first book—but instead reconnects with his estranged father. A museum employee wants to meet with a forgotten 16th-century historical figure who has captivated his attention. Two devastated mothers hope to meet the daughters they lost far too early—one hoping to be absolved and the other hoping to show how her grief has reshaped her life. Finally, after decades of trying, an elderly chef believes it’s his last chance to reconnect with the girl he loved from afar (“It’s a gift to live in the world at the same time as the person you have in your heart”). If some of the meetings feel less emotionally resonant than those in the previous novel, the sequel’s biggest strength is the way it develops Ayumi’s story as he navigates more familial loss; experiences “firsts” as the go-between; and builds a relationship with the Torino family, who own a small but respectable woodworking business. Drawn to them because they had worked with his father, Ayumi becomes increasingly close with the father, and Nao, his daughter. The closer he becomes with them, the more Ayumi wonders how he can find true connection while harboring a secret life. As in the first book, this novel can feel repetitive at times, but ultimately it’s a poignant portrayal of death, life, and the magical place where the two overlap.

Heartfelt and charming.