The Lost Bookshop: The most charming and uplifting novel of 2023 and the perfect gift for book lovers!
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The Echo of Old Books 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.
Readers have fallen in love with The Lost Bookshop:
‘Beautifully written and captures the wonder and awe that a story can bring to its reader…a delightful story for any book lover…an ode to storytelling and the connections that books can make!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wowwww!! It’s been awhile since I read something so fascinating, captivating and special all in one…It takes you on a journey like most books do, but this one, I just want to inscribe on my back and hope that it becomes a part of me so that I can carry it with me always’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A must read for readers that love books’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A beautiful story that begs to be read in one sitting…a magical story filled with beautiful prose and many surprises that readers will not soon forget’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This spellbinding book hooked me from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down til the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A love story, one with books and booklovers at its heart. A warm, wonderful novel that sweeps up the reader into an absorbing, magical tale’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘If you enjoy books by the Brontë sisters … then I would fully recommend you read this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘This novel has it all: wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart. A fantastic read’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Additional information
| Publisher | One More Chapter (22 Jun. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2922 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 444 pages |
by MaireadH
My Rating ~ 4.5*
‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods published with One More Chapter (Harper Collins) on June 22nd and is described as ‘The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary…evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.’
I have read the charming work of Evie Woods, as Evie Gaughan, and have been totally captivated by the magic and warmth that emanates from her stories. Both The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris, set in France, and The Story Collector, set in Ireland, swept me up in their mysticism and escapism, taking me on wonderful adventures. When Evie writes about France, her storytelling is reminiscent of Joanne Harris’ Vianne Rocher novels (Chocolat, The Lollipop Shoes, Peaches for Monsieur le Cure & The Strawberry Thief) with sweeping imagery imbued with magical realism.
In The Lost Bookshop, Evie combines France and her Irish roots into a beautifully woven tale that had me listening to Sidney Bechet and reminding me why I love his music and the gorgeous movie that is Midnight in Paris. The Lost Bookshop is a must for anyone who, like me, loves mention of the Lost Generation, Sylvia Beach and of an era when society and the arts carry a special kind of wonder and enchantment.
Martha arrives in Dublin looking for shelter, looking to escape the life she has been living. She finds work as a housekeeper for an elderly lady, with sleeping arrangements included. The anonymity of the situation suits Martha. She wants to be invisible, she seeks silence, she needs safety. As the days pass she becomes more used to her new role, servicing the demands of her new boss, and she experiences a temporary peace in the cocoon of the basement where she resides.
Henry arrives in Dublin from the UK in search of something. On the threshold of a big decision in his personal life, he needs this escape to Dublin to follow a thread, to uncover a piece of the past that he is finding challenging to get a solid hold of. Henry accidentally stumbles upon Martha. It’s very clear to Henry that Marth’s life has been difficult. She’s a fragile soul, one he is immediately drawn to for some inexplicable reason.
Opaline is about to be married off in an arranged marriage, negotiated by her over-bearing brother. Opaline covets adventure and freedom, so she decides to take a leap of faith, escaping to the streets of Paris, to a city that is overflowing with culture and artistic souls. Her head spins when she first realises the enormity of her decision, but Opaline’s determination not to return home to a life of drudgery compels her forward into an unexpected, but very welcomed, turn of events.
Martha, Henry and Opaline are oblivious to the invisible threads that bind them. As their stories unfold, we are transported back to Paris and Dublin in the 1920s and to a special bookshop that has rather extraordinary powers. Evie excels in creating escapist worlds where anything can happen, if you just believe. Not shying away from tough themes, Evie combines the hardship and reality of life with warmth and magic, creating a wonderful reading experience that dips into the mysterious and the curious.
The Lost Bookshop is a joy to read, a seductive tale that sparks the imagination, a truly immersive and charismatic read of self-discovery and strength imbued with a sense of hope and passion.
On publication eve, Evie wrote a gorgeous blog post over her website, Solstice, where she reflects on the journey that got her to this point, which I think really highlights the passion and the dreams of a beautiful person, both inside and out.
‘This book has my heart and soul inside of it, the sun, moon and stars. The rejection, the pain, the hurting; as well as the hope, love and wisdom I’ve gained. I’ve found it hard to let go and enjoy the moment. I realise tonight that it’s because it means so very much to me. It’s not a simple fact of raising a glass and toasting a job well done. It’s a lifetime of searching for a way to outwardly express the inner landscape of emotion through creative endeavour. It’s a jumble of heart and mind. It’s everything. And for once, I’d like to feel that. All of it.’
by Sarah H.
The story is told in alternating chapters, in the past with Opaline and in present day with Martha and Henry. From the very start of the novel I knew this was one I was going to love, and I absolutely did.
Opaline is a wonderful character who in the 1920’s was very much for women doing it for themselves and finds herself leaving home after trying to be forced into a marriage she doesn’t want. Having always loved books and reading, she is keen to learn more about books and become a bit of a bookseller. Her story is very much an emotional one and a reminder of what it was like for a single woman living in that time.
There is something magical about this story. Madam Bowman, who is just a brilliant character, adds an air of mystery and I loved her independence. You feel when Martha starts working for her that both need each other, as much as themselves and it makes for wonderful reading as some weird things happen in her home. Whilst Martha isn’t a lover of reading herself, she is quickly drawn into Henry’s quest for finding not only the vanishing bookshop but also a missing manuscript by one of the Bronte sisters.
The Lost Bookshop is for booklovers everywhere. It’s hard to put into words just how fabulous this story is. It touches on some sensitive topics yet overall it’s uplifting and was a pure joy to read. It would make an absolutely brilliant film with the characters stealing bits of your heart. I’ve always been drawn to stories that feature bookshops and books at the heart of the story and this one is beautifully done and will stay with me for a long time to come. It’s one I want to read over and over again as it was just so good. Captivatingly good!
by lynda smith
This book is not for me. I kept waiting for the magic but there was only the odd ‘sprinkle’ here and there. There’s a promising love story going on between Martha and Henry and this no longer prevented by Martha’s abusive husband. This is magical. I read half of this book and gave up on it. It just didn’t hold my interest at all. In the 1920s for Opaline, a single woman, to find herself pregnant is surely not something to be so happy about. Opaline is not in a loving relationship. She knows who the father of her baby is and he is not the marrying kind. Even if he were to propose she would be mad to accept because she could never trust him. Does Opaline not realise people will generally I would think in the 1920s look down at her for her pregnancy outside of marriage. She is just starting a business – how can she afford to take time off with no income while she has the baby. This book is not for me. I just don’t see the point of the storyline. How really odd a woman ruins her body so much as to have the beginnings of a book tattooed on her back. No matter the significance of this book. Martha is not aware of the significance. These sentences that pop into Martha’s thoughts – does she not think these are just the meanderings of her mind or just the really wild, wild fantasies of a lonely person. Yet still she has these ‘sentences’ recorded on her back. Could she not have bought herself a really fancy notebook to record these things in – a special notebook, maybe expensive. This is a woman with not much money yet she affords a tattoo artist. Does anyone who can read properly feel afraid of books to the extent they never read them because of this fear? This book is not for me.
by PJ
This is a curl up and keep warm book interwoven through time with generational stories and trauma. The term magical realism is something I can relate to as an escape into another world for a while.
I enjoyed the characters and the magic. The story flirts with the difficulties faced by women and the cruel and terrifying realities for some by overbearing, dominating men. It also shows the kindness of men in love although Martha and Henry were tedious at times in their pursuit of themselves. I felt as I read it that something was missing, too light of touch perhaps? I’m not sure. Still an enjoyable read.