Lost for Words – Stephanie Butland

„A bookshop keeps many secrets …“ (Quotation book cover)

Content

Loveday Cardew works in a bookshop in York. Due to a terrible childhood experience that made her lose her parents, she definitely prefers books to people. Archie, the owner of the bookshop and more fatherly advisor than boss, really cares without asking too many questions. Meeting Nathan, poet and part-time magician, and falling in love with him, seems to give Loveday new confidence to open up and learn to trust people. But hints from the past suddenly appearing in the bookshop mean for Loveday that she has to face up to the past. But can she?

I like stories that take place in bookshops or are about books. But in this case, the bookshop seems to be just the location of the plot, together with some books quoted, meanwhile the story, written in the first person, is about Loveday´s past. More than three quarters of the book give lots of hints, which begins to be a little bit boring because the reader soon has figured out what might have happened. As Loveday seems to be unable to trust people again, the plot also is about the problems of traumatic childhood expriences and how these influence the future life. Mostly, the plot twists only around a few main characters, I would have liked to know more about the setting, for example customers and their stories. The end was expectable but for me not coherent, considering the plot.

Conclusion

I would recommend “Lost for words” for readers who like stories about physical problems, inner moods and the struggles of a female main protagonist.