Found in a Bookshop

Found in a Bookshop

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.

“A really moving read.”

My Weekly

Review by 1000 Libraries

Stephanie Butland’s ‘Found in a Bookshop’ is a warm, poignant novel celebrating the healing power of books. A follow-up to ‘Lost for Words,’ it finds Loveday Cardew’s bookshop facing pandemic-induced quiet. The clever premise sees the shop become a “book pharmacy.” Inspired by a couple seeking books for their final journey, Loveday and her team begin curating recommendations for individuals writing in with their fears, loneliness, or desire for escape.

Butland beautifully interweaves the narratives of Loveday, her staff, and these letter-writers, revealing the universal human need for connection. The novel acknowledges the pandemic’s realities while maintaining an unwavering sense of hope.

“Reading should be a pleasure and a joy, an education and a promise, a release and an escape. The books you choose for yourself should never, ever feel like a punishment or a chore.”

For book lovers, this is a true delight, full of astute observations about reading and its profound impact. With its compassionate characters and comforting bookshop setting, ‘Found in a Bookshop’ is an uplifting read that champions the transformative magic of stories and community.

"A delightful and original concept about how a second hand bookshop can heal a community."

"The perfect book to curl up with . . . It's heartwarming, emotional, and full of kindness. A lovely and life-affirming novel."

"What a lovely book - so assured and gentle, full of compassion and replete with astute observations of human nature and behaviour."

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