The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park

Impressively, Michiko Aoyama has surpassed her debut novel What You Are Looking for is in the Library with her second translated work, The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park; centred on an aged hippo statue that has a mythical property said to heal anyone who touches it, wherever they feel pain. Through this suburban slice-of-life novel, we learn all about five distinct characters who each have individual concerns, anxieties, and worries with which we readers are more than likely to empathise. Ranging from the Grade 4 student Yuya, who fakes a sprain to escape participating in a relay, only for the pain to become real, to the 52-year-old editor-in-chief Kazuhiko who struggles to read anything in fine print, Aoyama gives life to these characters and makes them feel deeply relatable.

This leads into what I truly love about this book: while the hippo is certainly focal to the journey of healing and acceptance the characters go through, it is not overused nor needlessly mentioned. Aoyama gives each individual the space to breathe, allowing every character to forge their own unique path to recovery; the hippo serves merely as a comforting presence that reassures them and helps them uncover what they need to do to heal. I also enjoyed the casual mention of the other characters in each story, creating a sense of community around the people who live near Hinode Park – all rallying around this colour-faded hippo that miraculously brings joy and solace to all those who touch it.

If you enjoyed her first book, or any other cosy and whimsical translated fiction such as Before the Coffee Gets Cold or We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, I can guarantee you’ll love this one. In the age of comfy translated literature, Aoyama firmly cements herself as one of the best writers in the genre.