Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

Loveday Cardew’s beloved Lost for Words bookshop, along with the rest of York, has fallen quiet. At the very time when people most need books to widen their horizons, or escape from their fears, or enhance their lives, the doors are closed. Then the first letter comes.

Rosemary and George have been married for fifty years. Now their time is running out. They have decided to set out on their last journey together, without ever leaving the bench at the bottom of their garden in Whitby. All they need is someone who shares their love of books.

Suddenly it’s clear to Loveday that she and her team can do something useful in a crisis. They can recommend books to help with the situations their customers find themselves in: fear, boredom, loneliness, the desire for laughter and escape.

And so it begins.

Thanks so much to Headline for asking me to be on the tour, and sending me a copy of the book.

I loved this! At first I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of it, the pandemic being still so fresh, but honestly this was lovely. 

Stephanie made this book not only about the pandemic, and loneliness we all felt, but about feeling uplifted and happy, and feeling included. I love all the book recommendations, and there is a list of them all in the back of the book, I’m going to try to read some of them. 

I loved the characters, Geoge and Rosemary were my favourite, I loved hearing about their lives, how they met etc, but mostly how happy they are now in their retirement. Their garden overlooking the sea, sitting enjoying a cup of tea and a book together, this is what I want when I’m older.

Thanks again to Headline and Stephanie Butland for including me in the tour and for my gifted copy of the book.