The Lost Bookshop - Evie Woods

Description

The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

Review

A magical and enchanting read.

The book is set over two time lines. One begins in the 1920s and the other is present day. There are three narrators and we see the story through their experiences.

The story is very surreal, which will not appeal to everyone. However, it is not all magic and fairy tales. There are some very real abuse against women issues explored, and they aren't sugar coated. My emotions flitted between calmness, interest and disgust as I read. Appreciation for the wonderful writing was my overall feeling though. How the author imagined all of this story within a story is amazing.

There are some strong female characters in the book, which I liked. Opaline in particular is not really of her era with her views and vision. Henry in the present time line reminded me of someone from the 1920s. At times I wondered if that was to be the twist, of which towards the end there were a few. When the final twist did come I was open mouthed as I had not figured that one out at all.

A great read, particularly if you like books within books and a bit of a mystery too. I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to One More Chapter and Netgalley for the ARC to review and for the invite to the #readalong this week.

Comments

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