The Bookshop of Yesterdays – Amy Meyerson

“Understanding prepares us for the future.” (Quotation pos. 433)

Content

When she was a child, Miranda Brooks loved it, when her Uncle Billy took her to his bookshop “Prospero Books”. The last time she saw him was on her twelfth birthday. After a serious argument with her mother, his sister, he just disappeared. After sixteen years, she gets a package with the book “The Tempest” inside. The same evening her mother tells her that Uncle Billy had died. He has left his bookshop to Miranda. She returns to Prospero Books, also to find out what had happened twelve years ago that had made Billy leave …

Theme and Genre

It is not only a story about reading, books (especially Shakespeare “The Tempest”) and the problems of independent bookstores, but about family and hidden secrets, lies and the importance to talk to one another. 

Characters

Miranda is a history teacher when she inherits Prospero Books and hopes to save it and not to have to close it down. She is a quite pleasant main character, but during the story going on, she got just too stubborn about the family secrets. Especially her conduct towards her mother was just too much drama for me and not understandable for a grown-up person. While Malcolm, the manager of the bookstore and the regular visitors of the store and included café are interesting and likeable.

Plot and Writing

The story is written in the first person, told by Miranda. There are some flashbacks included directly into to story, where necessary for better understanding. The family secret is slowly revealed during the plot and that makes the story interesting and gripping, even if the reader at a certain point might guess the truth. I definitely have enjoyed the parts about literature and books.

Conclusion

A fine-spun plot and gripping story about literature and family secrets buried in the past. Although not always happy with the main character, I really did enjoy the story that gives the reader some pleasant, entertaining reading hours.

Dieses Buch ist auch bereits in deutscher Übersetzung unter dem Titel „Ein Himmel voller Bücher“ erschienen. Schon der deutsche Titel macht für mich überhaupt keinen Sinn, wenn der Rest der Übersetzung von ähnlicher Qualität ist, sollte man wirklich das englische Original lesen. Es ist ein unterhaltsamer Frauenroman, sprachlich angenehm zu lesen.