Category: Healing Fiction - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Timely Correspondence

28/6/2026

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
by Keigo Higashino
Translated by Sam Bett

Three thieves need to lie low for the night and find an abandoned general store in which to do so. But things soon get a little weird. Letters asking for advice keep arriving from the past. Somehow, time has slowed down in the store and given them the chance to reach these people. The thieves could ignore them...but they feel compelled to try and help them. What miracles will occur?

An absolutely fantastic book that is akin to a tapestry, expertly woven together across different characters and different decades, moving backwards and forwards with both ends of the narrative finding the perfect conclusion. I'm really impressed with this one. The author seems to write a lot of crime fiction... which may explain why he handled the time travel aspects so well. It's a similar type of puzzle.

Tokyo to Sydney

8/6/2026

Hot Chocolate on Thursday (Marble Cafe #1)
by Michiko Aoyama
Translated by E. Madison Shimoda

Hot Chocolate on Thursday is about the interconnectedness of everything and everyone and how small interactions can have great meaning. It's certainly not the cosy cafe novel that the cover suggests it is. That's not a bad thing, mind. I just wasn't expecting most of the book to be in set in my own city! It's actually really nice to read a Japanese perspective of Sydney. Most healing fiction novels contain longer stories; here, you get bite-sized moments that will stay with you long after you close the book.

I will note that while the translation seems to be well done, there are a few very minor Australian-specific niggles (e.g. Circular Quay is referred to as "the Circular Quay", an Australian wouldn't say "gym class" and so on). But I understand that most translations are made palatable for US readers.

Healing Fiction: Island Edition

5/6/2026

Hakuda Photo Studio by Her Tea Yeon
Translated by Shanna Tan

Jebi impulsively quit her job for a holiday on Jeju Island and is just about to return to her life in Seoul when her phone, along with her digital ticket, drops into the sea. But not all is lost. She stumbles upon Hakuda Photo Studio where she quickly accepts a job, not expecting to stay long. Jeju Island isn't known for accepting outsiders...but perhaps Jebi needs to find another type of acceptance.

At first glance, this might seem like your typical healing fiction novel, but it's a slightly different flavour - the issues it covers are quite serious and affecting, and Jeju Island stuns as a setting (and acts as a character in its own right). The author's love of the island is clear. I do think some parts could have been developed a bit better, but on the whole it's an emotional, thought-provoking read.

Content warning: mentions of child death, relinquishing a child for adoption, contemplation of suicide

More Than Merely Convenient

7/5/2026

Meet Me at the Convenience Story by the Sea (Convenience Store by the Sea #2)
by Sonoko Machida
Translated by Bruno Navasky

Sometimes you just need a bit of Tenderness...and by that I mean the convenience store by the sea, where the manager and his siblings could pass for movie stars. It also happens to be an unassuming place of healing and reflection. A grandmother and granddaughter grow closer, a store employee discovers himself, and a school girl finds herself receiving the same treatment she once gave others.

I was hanging out for this sequel for months. Happily, I can report that it did not disappoint in the slightest. Machida delves so deeply into her characters and their psyches that you feel like you have formed an intimate acquaintance with each and every one of them. I was particularly moved by Mizuki's tale. What incredible character growth...and her new friendship actually made me teary. Now can November please hurry up and arrive? I want the next book's English translation...NOW.

Nijiko's Delivery Service

15/4/2026

Messenger Cat Cafe by Nagi Shimeno
Translated by M. Jean

Fuuta is a cat who has departed the land of the living, but he wants to see the owner he left behind. He could wait the customary time - or he could become a messenger cat and earn the right to see her again after completing five tasks. Fuuta's new job can be difficult. He must convey a soul's message through someone - or something - conveniently nearby. Sometimes, he has to leave it to chance.

This is a sweet enough book and one chapter actually left me sobbing, but there's not much here to make it stand out amidst the rest of the titles in the crowded healing fiction genre. I also think this would have worked better had every story involved a soul who had actually passed on. A couple of the stories failed to leave an impression on me due to this. But at least Fuuta is a charming narrator.

Content warning: discussions of child loss/stillbirth, cheating

Pottering Along

14/4/2026

The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin
Translated by Clare Richards

Jungmin became a recluse in Chestnut Burr Village after she quit her job, burnt out by work and burdened by her past. When she finally leaves her "cave" in search of a cafe, she finds Soyo, a pottery workshop where all types gather to create meaningful, sometimes imperfect, pieces. Throughout the seasons, Jungmin will quietly approach healing and find her way once more.

This was the perfect choice for me to dive into on an autumnal afternoon. I let myself be lulled by the gentle rhythm of this book and enjoyed every moment of Jungmin's journey. What I found most impressive was how Yeon managed to approach very serious subjects without throwing too long a shadow over those particular scenes. It's difficult to obtain this balance. I related to Jungmin on so many levels and now feel inspired to creep outside my own cave a little more often.

Food for the Soul

24/3/2026

Syonagri Book Kitchen by Kim Jee Hye
Translated by Shanna Tan

Books are food for the soul and the Soyangri Book Kitchen will give you the sustenance you need at just the right moment. The situation may not change, but you can.

What can I say? If it's a "healing read", then of course I'm going to read the book and heal while I'm going it. Kim has added a strong entry to the genre, even if I occasionally found it hard to connect to the characters. What I liked most was the realistic growth portrayed here. Not everything ends in sunshine and rainbows, but the journey is more important than the outcome.

Pastry Portal to the Other World

24/3/2026

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa
Translated by Slin Jung

After Yeon-hwa's grandmother passes, she finds herself the new owner of Hwawoldang, a traditional sweet shop which has accumulated a massive debt over the years. Yeon-hwa intends to sell the shop, but first she honours her grandmother's strange request by opening the store between 10pm and midnight for a month. Soon she discovers the secret of the shop, but more secrets are yet to come.

It's no surprise that I have read yet another book from the healing fiction genre, but I still managed to be pleasantly surprised by this one. Prepare to have your heartstrings pulled. Prepare to grab the nearest tissue box. And also prepare to find yourself drawn in by the same secrets that frustrate Yeon-hwa throughout the book. This is technically a debut novel, but Lee's prior experience is evident in her excellent writing.

They Mostly Come at Night

2/2/2026

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada
Translated by Philip Gabriel

The Night Library is only open at night and has a very specific purpose: displaying and protecting the book collections once owned by deceased authors. The staff all have their own stories about how they came to be at the Night Library and all of them have secrets - but the greatest secret is the identity of the library's mysterious owner.

I think I was about fifty pages in when I realised that I absolutely adored this book. Dinner at the Night Library may not feature any magic or dream-like sequences, but it is still utterly magical and dreamy. Character development may seem non-existent at first, but then it creeps up on you at unexpected moments. The mystery surrounding the owner was handled in a similar way...teased for a while and then suddenly resolved in the most perfect way. I'm so fascinated by the Night Library and dearly wish I could visit it in real life!

Comfort Food

17/1/2026

The Menu of Happiness (The Kamogawa Food Detectives #3)
by Hisashi Kashiwai
Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Don't expect anything different in this book than in the two that precede it. I'm not saying this is entirely a bad thing, since Kashiwai's writing is a lot like comfort food (especially on a rainy day like today)... but it never quite reaches the same heights as other books in the healing fiction genre. I think his stories need a more tangible connection between them and Koishi especially needs more development beyond "could possibly have a thing with that guy but for some reason won't".