The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods (HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter)

The Lost Bookshop is a heartwarming, charming, and magical book. Evie Woods writes with such ease and passion that the reader finds it difficult to put the book down until it is completed.

An endearing tale with sorrow and hope that is told from three points of view. 

Martha, a delicate young woman, wed a violent guy. She leaves her little Irish hamlet after receiving one too many beatings and travels to Dublin in search of anonymity. Answering a housekeeping post looks like the perfect way to escape abuse while receiving free housing and food. As soon as she enters Ha'penny Lane, Martha runs into Henry, a Ph.D. candidate researching Opaline Carlisle, a bookseller from the early 20th century. Henry is fixated on Ha'penny Lane and believes Opaline's bookshop was just next door to Martha's residence. Since no structures exist and nothing can be found on old maps or plans, everything is highly strange. 

Opaline is the third narrator in the story. Opaline, who was born around the turn of the 20th century, had a very challenging existence. Having a bitter elder brother and an uncaring mother, she was born into a prosperous household. Opaline aspires to work as a book dealer since her childhood. Her family has different ideas and anticipates that she will wed into yet another rich family. Opaline flees like Martha did, only 100 years before.

This novel has it all: well-developed and likable characters, an array of emotions, wit, a dash of magic, and a large heart.

A fantastic read.

5/5