What You Are Looking for Is in the Library

The older I get, the more that I appreciate my Asian American heritage. Books set in Asia give me glimpses into Eastern philosophy, customs, and history.

So I really loved the quiet, delicate storytelling in What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. Beautifully wrought, each chapter tells a vignette of a Japanese citizen whose life lacks something: meaning, purpose, love, et al.

The thread that ties all the stories together is a reference librarian who unlocks insight by simply asking "what do you want?" With a keen ear, then rat-a-tat-tat against her keyboard, she produces a list of… show more.

I was utterly charmed by this book. Although the woman who is smart doesn’t get a lot of page time in the book, she is its core. Sayuri Komachi is a librarian in a neighborhood library who is literally larger than life. This book has five overlapping stories, and Ms Komachi is at the center of all of them.  When they come to her reference desk for help, she gives them three things: 1) what they ask for, 2) a ‘bonus’ gift, and 3) what they need. 

What they need is a book they never would have chosen on their… show more.