In 1959 Florence Green, a kindhearted widow with a small inheritance, risks everything to open a bookshop—the only bookshop—in the seaside town of Hardborough. By making a success of a business so impractical, she invites the hostility of the town's less prosperous shopkeepers. By daring to enlarge her neighbors' lives, she crosses Mrs. Gamart, the local arts doyenne. Florence's warehouse leaks, her cellar seeps, and the shop is apparently haunted. Only too late does she begin to suspect the truth: a town that lacks a bookshop isn’t always a town that wants one.
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"Charming and lovely and insightful. It's a small book but it packs a punch of wonderful details that breathe life into such everyday but intriguing characters. I adore Mr. Brundish and laughed outloud when Florence called Mr. Thornton a coward! Milo reminded me of the Cheshire Cat--vexing and frustrating and fascinating all at the same time." — Amy (5 out of 5 stars)
"Charming and lovely and insightful. It's a small book but it packs a punch of wonderful details that breathe life into such everyday but intriguing characters. I adore Mr. Brundish and laughed outloud when Florence called Mr. Thornton a coward! Milo reminded me of the Cheshire Cat--vexing and frustrating and fascinating all at the same time."
" Very Barbara Pym-esque, only with the added allure of starting a bookshop. "
" Fitzgerald creates memorable characters in few words in her story of a middle-aged woman who makes reality of her dream to open a bookshop. However, the dream is dashed by local resistance to her project. A fast, satisfying read.*** "
" A simple story of a widow trying to open a bookstore in her small town while being met with so much opposition. Nothing really spectacular happens in the book but it was interesting to see how a small town operates. The story is definitely very realistic. I enjoyed some of the characters, especially the children. A very quick read. "
" I loved this short/long story. It pulled from the heart. "
" In fact, I read this novel published in an Everyman's Library hardcover and moderately enjoyed browsing the whole story since I didn't feel familiar with Penelope Fitzerald. However, I admired her idea regardng on initiating such the bookshop as the venue , its involved characters and and then its theme related to books. "
" This one just never really drew me in. "
" Wonderful, delightful, I'm a fan. "
" Wonderful, unsentimental writing about...uh, unsentimentality. And loneliness. And small towns. And failure. And, for reasons I'm still considering, Lolita. Brief and sharp and great in basically every way. "
" Being a book group comprised of former booksellers (at the time) we enjoyed this book. It had some really good moments but was overall merely satisfactory. "
" This tiny book was poignant and sweet. It caught a moment and a struggle perfectly. Really a novella, the tiny cast of characters was authentic and the setting (an isolated bit of rural England) crystal clear. "
" I will definitely read more of Fitzgerald. She says so very much without using too many words. I wasn't sure where our discussion for book club would go, but everyone was really engaged and had strong feelings for the Florence Green and the residents of Hardborough. "
" Superb writing from my favourite writer. If you don't get Fitzgerald then you have missed something impressive. "
" This book was just disappointing. I thought it would be something of a cozy and it was far from that. Had a very unsatisfying ending. Characters somewhat sketchy. It did pass my 50 page rule but I wouldn't recommend it to anybody. "
" I really did not care for it at all. I don't think I would suggest this book to any of my friends. "
" I kept waiting for something to happen. Sadly, even the 'rapper' in the shop didn't provide an excitement. "
" Yes, the writing in this was lovely. Very descriptive, nice turn of phrase. But the story? So unsatisfying and frankly mean. At the end the main character shakes her head at the futility of the past ten years. At the end, I shook my head at the futility of the time spent on those 123 pages. "
" A sheer delight. I plan to look up more by Fitzgerald. "
" I definitely like Penelope Fitzgerald's style - I'm never quite sure where things are going to go next. This one is about Florence Green's attempt to bring a bookshop to a late 1950s market town. Short on pages but rambling on story. A little strange all around, but enjoyable. "
" One of the most depressing books I've ever read. Thank goodness it was short. "
" Well written but extremely depressing. "
" Small book, a view of a short time in the life of a woman who owns a bookshop. I wish the book were longer, developed the characters more, what went on before and after this window in time. "
" Fun look at how horrible small-minded people can be. "
" I will definitely be reading more books by Penelope Fitzgerald. It made me laugh out loud several times, but isn't really a comedy at all. "
" I really enjoyed this book.Very short.Nicely written and interesting ending. "
" A very interesting little read I would recommend. The pace of the writing is slow (comparatively speaking) but the book is itty-bitty short, and interesting. It is certainly worth a try. "
" A widoe risks everything to open a bookshop in an English seaside town....this plot alone is the perfect setting for a novel.....try it! "
" I don't remember why I didn't like this one as well as her others. "
Penelope Fitzgerald (1916–2000) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, and biographer who embarked on her literary career at the age of fifty-eight and later earned much popular and critical acclaim, winning a Booker Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award.
Karen Cass is a voice artist and AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator of more than thirty audiobooks.
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