The Village Beyond the Mist
It is holiday time for Lina. She is not going to
her usual destination, but somewhere different, where her father sends
her.
She is headed for Misty Valley, also known as Absurd Avenue.
She discovers the reason for this name is due to the unusual occurrences that continuously
take place, and the oddest people that come and go in this place.
It turns out to be exactly what her father called it. Different!
She ends up at Picotto Hall, owned by the
elderly and crusty, Pippity Picotto. A strange and mysterious boarding house where the
boarders earn their keep in one form or another.
Lina is allocated The Clown Room, with the
most perfect surroundings and her own bathroom.
There is a mixture of interesting fellow boarders.
Icchan, an inventor, Kinu-san, the current cleaner, John, the cook, and
Gentleman, the cat.
A community garden is cared for by
everyone, as it provides for everyone’s needs.
Lina’s first job is to help at Nata’s bookshop
which she enjoys immensely. Payment is unheard of, as each help offering is a
gift to the community.
This is a wondrous novel compiled of stories which are episodes in
Lina’s life and all the discoveries she makes during her stay in Misty
Valley.
She learns why it was so important to her father that she go there,
and as all the people of the town are descendants of sorcerers, it basks in
fantasy and magic.
The story is a journey through wisdom, growth and learning.
A story of community, the history of people’s lives, and how they are all
entwined in one way or another.
Translated from the Japanese by Miho Satake, this is the third book translated to English by this very popular Japanese writer.
Her other translated to English titles are: The House of the Lost on the Cape, and Temple Alley Summer.
Title: The Village Beyond the Mist
Author: Sachiko Kashiwaba
Illustrator: Miho Sitake
Publisher: New South Books, $29.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2025
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781632063922
For ages: 8 – 13
Type: Middle Grade Fiction
