Kafka’s Journey

A girl on the run takes to the skies!

Within an island floating in the sky, there is an underground village of elderly people and one child—Kafka. The adults have taken care of the girl and asked for a single thing in return: She must never leave the village. When her grandfather was alive, that wasn’t a problem. But after he passed away, her days became dull, and the village feels stifling. Inspired by her grandfather’s stories of his adventures around the globe, Kafka longs to experience the outside world for herself. When a visitor from the surface tells her about life beyond the village, Kafka can’t take it anymore. Her only way out is her grandfather’s old plane. Never mind that she hasn’t flown one before! After everything her grandfather taught her, how hard could it be? Join Kafka’s journey as she broadens her horizons, makes friends her own age, and finally learns the sad truth about why her village was cut off from the rest of the world.

(Source: Yen Press)

Note: Winner of the 31st Dengeki Novel Prize New Literary Award.