The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park: A Novel
Michiko Aoyama
Sep 2025 · Harlequin Audio · Narrated by Naruto Komatsu, Kenichiro Thomson, Susan Momoko Hingley, Yuriri Naka, and Ami Okumura Jones
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4 hr 57 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook
The enchanting new novel by the multimillion-copy bestselling author of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, about five strangers who each seek comfort from a healing hippo ride.
Nestled at the bottom of a five-story apartment block in the community of Advance Hill is the children's playground in Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community. According to urban legend, if you touch the exact part of the hippo where you have an ailment or wound, you will see swift signs of recovery.
Meet the apartment residents who each find their way to Kabahiko:
A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart as the eclectic cast of characters find healing in their lives—though they may not always find it in the ways they expect.
Nestled at the bottom of a five-story apartment block in the community of Advance Hill is the children's playground in Hinode Park. If you look to the side, standing on stubby legs, is a hippo. Its upturned eyes give it a teary look, yet for decades, its quiet power has sustained the hearts of one community. According to urban legend, if you touch the exact part of the hippo where you have an ailment or wound, you will see swift signs of recovery.
Meet the apartment residents who each find their way to Kabahiko:
- Kanato, who hopes in vain to recover the stellar marks he once scored;
- Sawa, a new mother with no friends, wishes to be able to communicate as she once did when she was an award-winning retail assistant;
- Chiharu, off work as a wedding-planner, longs to listen better for the happiness of others;
- Yuya avoids sports day with a fake injury, only to find he really is in pain;
- Kazuhiko, despite his fading eyes, seeks to see life's everyday wonder.
A quietly powerful story of hope, friendship and connection, Michiko Aoyama's beloved bestseller is a celebration of everyday encounters. Its subtle portrayal of the magic of community will lodge itself in every reader's heart as the eclectic cast of characters find healing in their lives—though they may not always find it in the ways they expect.
About the author
Michiko Aoyama was born in 1970 in Aichi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan. After university, she became a reporter for a Japanese newspaper based in Sydney before moving back to Tokyo to work as a magazine editor. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library was short-listed for the Japan Booksellers’ Award and became a Japanese bestseller. It is being translated into more than fifteen languages. Michiko Aoyama lives in Yokohama, Japan.
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