A woman inherits a beloved bookstore and sets forth on a journey of self-discovery in this poignant debut about family, forgiveness and a love of reading.

Miranda Brooks grew up in the stacks of her eccentric Uncle Billy’s bookstore, solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on Miranda’s twelfth birthday, Billy has a mysterious falling-out with her mother and suddenly disappears from Miranda’s life. She doesn’t hear from him again until sixteen years later when she receives unexpected news: Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is teetering on bankruptcy–and one final scavenger hunt.

When Miranda returns home to Los Angeles and to Prospero Books–now as its owner–she finds clues that Billy has hidden for her inside novels on the store’s shelves, in locked drawers of his apartment upstairs, in the name of the store itself. Miranda becomes determined to save Prospero Books and to solve Billy’s last scavenger hunt. She soon finds herself drawn into a journey where she meets people from Billy’s past, people whose stories reveal a history that Miranda’s mother has kept hidden–and the terrible secret that tore her family apart.

Bighearted and trenchantly observant, The Bookshop of Yesterdays is a lyrical story of family, love and the healing power of community. It’s a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a testament to how our histories shape who we become.

Out June, 2018

 

BIO

Amy Meyerson teaches in the writing department at the University of Southern California, where she completed her graduate work in creative writing. She has been published in numerous literary magazines and currently lives in Los Angeles. The Bookshop of Yesterdays is her first novel.

A quick note on how I use Goodreads: I was a bit late to Goodreads and am only now realizing how much fun I missed out on, not being on it! While I’m definitely one of those people who thinks you learn from every book you read and thus finishes every book I start, I only include the ones I love here. If I give it a rating, it’s five stars. If I can’t contain my admiration, I’ll offer a few words. And if it doesn’t have a rating, that means I read it before I joined Goodreads but wanted to make note of it here. I’m doing my best to make up for lost time!

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The copy that I received had a lovely mint green cover; the one showing is pink.  I love both! However, I think the mint green one is better 🙂

How can you not love a story about bookstores or libraries? Add that to Amy Meyerson’s style of writing and wow!

Destined for fame! This book will become one of Summer 2018’s best reads. Warm and fuzzy, comfy and cozy, filled with lovable characters developed to an extraordinarily realistic venue. Billy as an uncle to Miranda, is exactly what I had hoped my brothers would be to my daughter–special in their relationship.  He is wholesome and three dimensional and he loved his “niece” unconditionally… of course that’s not where the story ends…

Miranda is a formidable character that leads you on a journey worth taking.  The treasure hunts through bookland are perfect and all the family relationships honed to perfection.

You’ll experience all the emotions, love, loss, hurt, anger, and more… all associated with family drama and characters discovering who they are.  There’s a bit of mystery too!  Park Row is about to have a Bestseller on their hands, mark my words.

The main twist in the story is NOT the big climax.  This book is all about discovering self and what that discovery entails.  You see it coming… but do you really see it all coming.

I gave this book: