THE BOOKSHOP LADIES
Author: Faith Hogan
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Reviewer: Beryl Eichenberger
Anything with ‘book’ in the title is an immediate attraction and so far I have not been disappointed. There is always a magic released when books are involved.
The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan is a delightful book club read. It’s easy narrative sweeps you along, the twists surprising, the outcomes fairly predictable but all in all, it held my attention and satisfied my need for a so-called light read.
Paris, a retirement party for an acclaimed gallerist and art dealer, a drive home that ends in tragedy and a revelation that sets into motion a ricocheting chain of events – changing lives, settling scores but ultimately leaving everyone in their rightful places. And with the background of a bookstore – well, what could go wrong? It’s a novel that will certainly draw some tears but have you smiling at the end.
What would you do if your dying husband revealed he had a daughter? Bit of a shock to the system given that you had tried for children only to lose them. And how had this loving husband hidden this? What, why who: a flurry of questions assails Joy Blackwood at this utterance from husband, Yves Bachand. An accident on their way from home from his retirement party and the urbane and caring Yves is lost to Joy leaving more questions than answers. When a valuable painting that hung in his study is left to the unknown Robyn Tessier, who lives in Ballycove, Ireland, Joy’s hackles rise and determination drives her to uncover the secret. Had she lived for years believing Yves to be the faithful husband? Their closeness a sham? Hard to believe, but as the doubts creep in Joy decides to deliver the painting herself and face this ‘daughter’.
From Paris to the sleepy village of Ballycove and the deliciously captivating characters that reside there. The twinkly eyed, astute Uncle Albie who lets the top floor flat in his home to Joy; his giant tortoise Dolly Parton, a quirky pet who enjoys resting amongst the books; Albie’s taciturn son Leo, who runs the bakery started by his father, and great-niece Robyn Tessier– proud owner of the soon-to-be-opened but absolutely chaotic bookshop. She’s young, painfully shy, hopelessly in love with childhood friend Kian and totally unaware of her biological father. Into this mix comes the grieving Joy, hurt, unsure of what and how she should handle this situation. But what seems certain is she cannot reveal her mission just yet…
It’s an enchanting story as Joy (by name and nature) finds herself entangled in the lives of these welcoming people. Coerced into volunteering to help Robyn in the bookshop, their relationship develops as Joy uses her skills to launch the shop. When Robyn’s artist mother, Fern, returns from Dublin, Joy is determined to hate her but, not unexpectedly, there is a kindred spirit. And naturally, ‘just yet’ stretches until revelations almost destroy lives and loves.
Hogan weaves a tight knit tapestry of people. She plants them against this backdrop of books, community and how simple efforts can have enormous results, solving what appear to be insurmountable problems. While the story itself is complex, it is an echo of what we know. It’s life affirming, draws you in, speaks to the soul, reminds you that good can come out of mistakes and that ‘family’ doesn’t have to be biological.