Great multigenerational friendships blossom around saving the printed letter bookshop, definitely a character to connect to no matter where you are and where you've been in life. ( )

ETA: The people who keep talking about how two stories are told in 1st person but Claire's is told in 3rd: I think they're missing the point. The last couple chapters of Claire's are told in 1st person. Claire's big "issue" through the whole thing is that she doesn't "tell her own story", as Janet says. After she takes back control over her household, she begins to tell her own story in 1st person. Annoying way to write a book? Probably. But the author is trying to be clever.

This was a difficult story for me. Reading it over the course of 24 hours, I had to walk away a couple times as it was really stressful. This was NOT a good Shabbat read — I had a lot of anxiety today. Haha! The three women in the story have their own issues to work out, but one in particular hit too close to home. One woman has an affair which wrecks her husband, alienates her children, and destroys her marriage. She has her own redemption story, and I’m thankful for that, but having my own mother do the same thing when I was a child— well, let’s just say it was very difficult to have sympathy for this character or to rejoice in her growth. All the attempts to make me feel compassion for this woman… My thoughts went to: “but has she apologized to her daughter?” “This is what she deserves for leaving.“ “Your choices have consequences." “How dare you feel jealousy when he tries to move on when you’re the one who left him?” All thoughts I’ve thought and words I’ve said to my own mother over the years. (We have a great relationship now, by the grace of God).

This line from pg. 157 sums up the epitome of the thinking that gets dissatisfied women to the place of having an affair: ”Seth shone whenever I came near, and the adoration made me glow too. … When did feeling that glow, chasing that adoration, become more than loving that man?” Water your own grass, ladies. Then it will be green on your side too.

This book is about taking responsibility for our actions and trusting God’s plan for refinement. It’s a great story — I just had to get far enough in to see it.

I did struggle early on because I felt there were way too many characters to keep straight so early. At about 20 pages in, I went back and started over so I could get everyone straight. It was also difficult because there was a lot of alluding to peoples’ issues but it took a long time to get to any backstory for context. I liked this book better the more I got into it, but it’s definitely not something I could have put down and come back to. Way too much going on with too many similar characters. ( )

I truly enjoyed this book, the messages throughout and the incredible amount of book recommendation’s throughout. What does one do when they inherit a failing bookstore and it’s imperfect staff who refuse to let go to a community staple. They get creative, they listen, uncover what is needed and band together to make something beautiful. This book chapters are told by many different customers and the three main characters of the story. You truly feel like you know them , their pain, their hurts, fears and joys throughout the book. Enjoy curling up and reading this lovely book. ( )

I really enjoyed this novel. The characters developed well and I love that it was about a small town bookshop and how to keep it going.
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Three very different women with different experiences are thrown together because of Maggie and her very special bookstore.
A perfect Sunday book ( )