In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel, New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks the question, "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP
by SUSAN WIGGS
Series: Bella Vista Chronicles #3
Publication date: July 7, 2020
Published by: William Morrow
Genre: women's fiction
SYNOPSIS
There is a book for everything . . .
Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.
In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.
But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.
After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.
To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.
Purchase your copy now!Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.
In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.
But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.
After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.
To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.
"A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now. Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life. Lovely!"
Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain
“What a warm and deeply satisfying story! Reading it is like feeling the summer sun after a long winter.”
Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of The Scent Keeper
Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain
“What a warm and deeply satisfying story! Reading it is like feeling the summer sun after a long winter.”
Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of The Scent Keeper
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends...and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and she commutes to her writers' group in a 17-foot motorboat. She serves as author liaison for Field's End, a literary community on Bainbridge Island, Washington, bringing inspiration and instruction from the world's top authors to her seaside community. (See www.fieldsend.org) She's been featured in the national media, including NPR's "Talk of the Nation," and is a popular speaker locally and nationally.
According to Publishers Weekly, Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." She is the recipient of three RITA (sm) awards and four starred reviews from Publishers Weekly for her books. The Winter Lodge and Passing Through Paradise have appeared on PW’s annual "Best Of" lists. Several of her books have been listed as top Booksense picks and optioned as feature films. Her novels have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have made national bestseller lists, including the USA Today, Washington Post and New York Times lists.
The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book.
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The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan WiggsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a wonderful treat this story was! I picked it because of the charming setting in a bookshop, but I wasn't really prepared for how that bookshop would become almost a character of the story in and of itself. This wasn't just a building filled with books, it was Natalie and her mother's home, her grandfather Andrew's, past generations before that. The long line of family members that lived there each had a separate story that melded into one unified whole. Stories of tragedy, heartbreak, hope, fortunes lost and found, and meaningful life lessons. Natalie distanced herself as an adult from the bookshop, feeling as if it would only be a source of financial insecurity as it was in her childhood. What she learned by the end was that by letting go of her need to feel safe and control her life, she found the happiness and fulfillment at home she had always been missing.
Natalie knew she’d been too afraid to live her life. She had sold it to the firm for a big salary. But what she’d really sold was her own happiness.
After Natalie loses her mother and the man she's dating in a plane crash, she's filled with a million emotions at once. Of course she's overcome with grief, but it's mixed with guilt, an irrational sense of responsibility for their deaths, and maybe even a little bit of resentment towards her mother. The two of them had a rocky relationship, and there were many times she felt disappointed by her, but with the suddenness of her death there was no ability to resolve the distance that had been between them. When she discovered what had happened and immediately came home to her grandfather, the reality of what her mother was taking care of all by herself hits her hard. My heart was aching for all of the pain she was going through. Her helplessness was overwhelming, and there were times she felt she would crack from the stress, but she forced herself to be strong for her grandfather.
Blythe was gone, suddenly and irretrievably, like a zephyr shooting into the night sky, leaving a trail of moonlit particles that swirled in brief, unspeakable beauty, and then faded into nothing.
His days started to fade, and his life turned as thin as lukewarm water. He was a ghost in a world that appeared through a glass that was ash-colored and wavy.
Often in books, we're only given the perspective of the family members who have to come to terms with their loved one's illness. But with Andrew, we simultaneously learn some of his life history as his memories slowly trickle away from him. We feel his confusion and devastation as his lucid moments flicker on and off. It was truly heartbreaking for everyone involved, but they vow to treasure what moments they do have left instead of mourning what they're losing.
On top of taking care of her grandfather's medical issues, Natalie has the monumental task of figuring out if saving the bookshop from financial ruin is possible. The debt seems absolutely insurmountable, but her Andrew is determined to stay where his family's roots are. So she takes the first necessary step and starts some much needed repairs on the building. Peach Gallagher is the man her mother hired for the job. When he shows up one day to get started, she has a mini-breakdown in front of him and he takes it all in stride. From his very first scene, you can see that he's compassionate and caring, making me like him immediately. Not only did he not shy away from comforting her while she grieved, but he was sensitive and kind to Andrew during his times of confusion. Natalie eventually started feeling stirrings of attraction towards him because of his kindness and the ease she felt with him, however she never let it go anywhere because she believed he was married. In actuality, Peach is a single father, just like her grandfather was. He has many of the same wonderful qualities, but his divorce is still fresh enough that he isn't looking for romance.
The slow burn romance is very much secondary to Natalie's personal transformation and how she comes to learn what's truly important in her life. She used to think that having a retirement fund, a stable job, and a nice apartment would give her everything she's ever wanted. Yet she was unhappy with her romantic relationships, her co-workers hated her, and her job bored her to tears. Running the bookshop again allowed her to step in her mother's shoes and see the joy she was able to bring to people's lives through books. She remembered the wisdom her mom imparted on her growing up, and it gave her comfort and strength.
I was addicted to this book while reading it, and found it very hard to put down. There were so many different layers to it that were beautifully presented. The writing was exquisite, emotional, and I know for sure that this story will stay with me for a long time. If I had one constructive criticism it would be that Peach and Natalie's eventual romance is rushed at the end, moving from friends, to a declaration of feelings, to an engagement almost instantly. However, it honestly didn't bother me and the story was so special that I couldn't contemplate giving less than five stars. I loved getting the family history piece by piece through antiques and other surprising items found during renovation. Secrets were unearthed, and emotional wounds were healed along the way. This is my first read by Susan Wiggs, but I plan to read many more of her books in the future. I can't recommend this one enough to anyone looking for an emotional, thought-provoking read.
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