Call number
FIC WOO
Collections
Genres
Publication
One More Chapter (2023), 448 pages
Description
The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. "The thing about books,' she said 'is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of." On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found... For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder...where nothing is as it seems.
User reviews
LibraryThing member vancouverdeb
The Publisher Says:
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookstore casts it's spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their
My review:
In 1921, we meet Opaline Carlisle,who lives at home with her mother and dominating, controlling elder brother, Lyndon. Her mother and brother insist that she must meet and marry a man she has never met, in order to secure the family finances. Instead, she flees to Paris, hoping to run a bookshop there.
In present day Dublin, Martha Winter has fled an abusive husband. She seeks work of any kind , and finds herself working for an eccentric lady , Madame Bowden, as a live in housekeeper. Henry Field is PhD scholar, in search of a lost manuscript. There, he and Martha's paths cross.
A charming and magical read, with many references to books and bookshops. Highly recommended.
For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookstore casts it's spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their
Show More
beloved books. By unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder.. where nothing is as it seems.My review:
In 1921, we meet Opaline Carlisle,who lives at home with her mother and dominating, controlling elder brother, Lyndon. Her mother and brother insist that she must meet and marry a man she has never met, in order to secure the family finances. Instead, she flees to Paris, hoping to run a bookshop there.
In present day Dublin, Martha Winter has fled an abusive husband. She seeks work of any kind , and finds herself working for an eccentric lady , Madame Bowden, as a live in housekeeper. Henry Field is PhD scholar, in search of a lost manuscript. There, he and Martha's paths cross.
A charming and magical read, with many references to books and bookshops. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member KateBaxter
Sometimes, a book's beautiful cover will taunt a reader into buying it. Such was the case for me. Of course, just the title alone was a tease.
I was anticipating a tender bookish read with a touch of romance to it. It turned out to be so much more. The settings in Dublin and Paris brought back a
Ms. Wood has deftly written a delightful and magical story. Her settings were well described and created a wonderful atmosphere. The various story lines are all drawn tidily together in the end, leaving the reader with a satisfactory conclusion. If bookish romance with a touch of fantasy delights you, then this may well be a book for you.
Publication Date: 11/07/2023
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0008609214
No. of pages: 448
I was anticipating a tender bookish read with a touch of romance to it. It turned out to be so much more. The settings in Dublin and Paris brought back a
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flood of wonderful memories. The two female protagonists Opaline and Martha rise up against societal norm. One, chooses not to marry a stranger just for the financial and societal gain of her family and the other has the courage to flee an abusive husband. Each finds solace in the company of books. There is also Henry whose quest to find a missing address, crosses paths with Martha and the relationship blooms into a lovely friendship (or is it more than that?). The fourth primary character is the bookshop itself and all the phantasmagorical wonders therein. Ms. Wood has deftly written a delightful and magical story. Her settings were well described and created a wonderful atmosphere. The various story lines are all drawn tidily together in the end, leaving the reader with a satisfactory conclusion. If bookish romance with a touch of fantasy delights you, then this may well be a book for you.
Publication Date: 11/07/2023
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0008609214
No. of pages: 448
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This story, with some historical fiction aspects, is about a magical bookshop is told from multiple points of view that vary in time period.
Opaline Carlisle was a young woman in the 1920s, facing pressure from her tyrannical older brother Lyndon to marry. She ran away from London to France, and
Martha Winter, from the present time, ran away also, fleeing an abusive marriage in England to Dublin, where she found employment working as a live-in housekeeper for an eccentric old woman, Madam Bowden.
Henry Field, also in the present day, is also in Dublin, searching for clues about a missing manuscript by Emily Bronte. His search narrows down to a supposed bookshop that was located right next to the home of Madam Bowden, but nothing is there now, or so it would seem.
Henry tries to enlist Martha’s help in solving the mystery, and they begin a tentative friendship. Could it evolve into more? And what is happening with all the mysterious clues about the bookshop that are literally intruding into Martha’s life?
Evaluation: It seems like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted to write a story about the magic of books, stories, and bookstores, or about the injustice and endurance of abuse of women. Each plot thread is good, but they don’t coalesce well, and each therefore suffers a bit in development and execution. Not a bad read, but it would have worked better as two separate books.
Opaline Carlisle was a young woman in the 1920s, facing pressure from her tyrannical older brother Lyndon to marry. She ran away from London to France, and
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ended up working for Sylvia Beach in her famous "Shakespeare and Company" bookstore.Martha Winter, from the present time, ran away also, fleeing an abusive marriage in England to Dublin, where she found employment working as a live-in housekeeper for an eccentric old woman, Madam Bowden.
Henry Field, also in the present day, is also in Dublin, searching for clues about a missing manuscript by Emily Bronte. His search narrows down to a supposed bookshop that was located right next to the home of Madam Bowden, but nothing is there now, or so it would seem.
Henry tries to enlist Martha’s help in solving the mystery, and they begin a tentative friendship. Could it evolve into more? And what is happening with all the mysterious clues about the bookshop that are literally intruding into Martha’s life?
Evaluation: It seems like the author couldn’t decide if she wanted to write a story about the magic of books, stories, and bookstores, or about the injustice and endurance of abuse of women. Each plot thread is good, but they don’t coalesce well, and each therefore suffers a bit in development and execution. Not a bad read, but it would have worked better as two separate books.
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LibraryThing member srms.reads
Plot: 4⭐️
Audio Narration: 5⭐️
“In a place called lost, strange things are found.”
1921, London:
Twenty-one-year-old Opaline Carlisle chooses to leave for France to escape being forced into an arranged marriage by her dominating older brother. Her love for reading, a passion she shared
Present Day:
Martha Winter, a young woman running from an abusive marriage, finds her way to Dublin in the employ of the eccentric Madame Bowden as her live-in housekeeper. Martha is not much of a reader, and in fact, has an eversion of sorts to books. When books start appearing in the walls of the small basement of Madam Bowden’s residence where Martha now lives, will this inspire her to overcome her fears and look at life from a fresh perspective?
Henry Field, a Ph.D. scholar in search of a rare manuscript that is referenced in an old letter he found in the course of his research, is searching for an old bookshop in Dublin but when he reaches the premises the bookshop is not there, or is it?
With superb characterizations (even the unlikable ones) and an almost perfect balance of history, romance, mystery, fantasy and magical realism, Evie Woods seamlessly weaves past and present threads into an enchanting tale about self-discovery, family, courage and the magical, transformative power of books. The narrative is presented in the first person narrative perspectives of Opaline, Henry and Martha in alternating chapters. I loved the literary references (from the classics to contemporary fiction), insight into the antiquarian book trade and auctions and the literary figures who feature in the cast of characters. Interspersed among the magic and mystery, the author touches upon several serious themes including abuse, exploitation and fraud and how historically “troublesome women with inconvenient ideas” were treated. I did feel, however, that the ending was a tad rushed and there were a few aspects of the story that could have been explored further but overall, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a beautiful story that will strike a chord in your heart.
I paired my reading with the audio narration which truly enhanced my experience with this book. Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon do a brilliant job of voicing the characters, setting the atmosphere and bringing the story to life, making for a memorable immersion reading experience.
Finally, that cover is beautiful!
" The thing about books, she said, is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of."
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the eARC and AlC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Audio Narration: 5⭐️
“In a place called lost, strange things are found.”
1921, London:
Twenty-one-year-old Opaline Carlisle chooses to leave for France to escape being forced into an arranged marriage by her dominating older brother. Her love for reading, a passion she shared
Show More
with her late father, and her subsequent association with Sylvia Beach of "Shakespeare and Company" fame, where she takes up a job, fuels her interest in antiquarian books and manuscripts - a journey, that after a sequence of events, eventually has her opening a bookshop in Dublin all the while searching for an elusive manuscript. Present Day:
Martha Winter, a young woman running from an abusive marriage, finds her way to Dublin in the employ of the eccentric Madame Bowden as her live-in housekeeper. Martha is not much of a reader, and in fact, has an eversion of sorts to books. When books start appearing in the walls of the small basement of Madam Bowden’s residence where Martha now lives, will this inspire her to overcome her fears and look at life from a fresh perspective?
Henry Field, a Ph.D. scholar in search of a rare manuscript that is referenced in an old letter he found in the course of his research, is searching for an old bookshop in Dublin but when he reaches the premises the bookshop is not there, or is it?
With superb characterizations (even the unlikable ones) and an almost perfect balance of history, romance, mystery, fantasy and magical realism, Evie Woods seamlessly weaves past and present threads into an enchanting tale about self-discovery, family, courage and the magical, transformative power of books. The narrative is presented in the first person narrative perspectives of Opaline, Henry and Martha in alternating chapters. I loved the literary references (from the classics to contemporary fiction), insight into the antiquarian book trade and auctions and the literary figures who feature in the cast of characters. Interspersed among the magic and mystery, the author touches upon several serious themes including abuse, exploitation and fraud and how historically “troublesome women with inconvenient ideas” were treated. I did feel, however, that the ending was a tad rushed and there were a few aspects of the story that could have been explored further but overall, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a beautiful story that will strike a chord in your heart.
I paired my reading with the audio narration which truly enhanced my experience with this book. Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon do a brilliant job of voicing the characters, setting the atmosphere and bringing the story to life, making for a memorable immersion reading experience.
Finally, that cover is beautiful!
" The thing about books, she said, is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of."
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the eARC and AlC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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LibraryThing member Kris_Anderson
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is an interesting story. It is told from three points of view (Opaline, Martha, and Henry) and from two time periods (1921 and the present day). The story does contain good writing. I found the pacing to be slow especially in the middle (it dragged). The book is too
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long (407 pages). I can tell that the author loves books based on her beautiful descriptions of the bookstore and books. I can certainly relate to that special feeling you get each time you enter a bookstore. The wonderful smell of the paper and ink. You never know who you will meet or where you will go when you pick up a book. Opaline created a special bookstore with creative displays. It is a tragedy what happened to her (I am not going to tell you). The laws in early twentieth century were archaic and gave men too much leeway over the women in their “care”. There are a number of characters, and it can be difficult to keep them all straight. The bookshop with its magic is intriguing. I especially liked the stained-glass windows with their changing scenes. I felt for Opaline, but I had trouble relating to Martha and Henry (I was not a fan of Henry). The story had, of course, romance (I would have preferred two woman who came into their own and carved their own path). I was not a fan of the intimate scenes. The story does contain foul language (quite a bit). Those who have suffered physical or mental abuse will find triggers in the story. There are various things that happen without explanation. I can understand letting a couple of things be mysterious, but all of them. It becomes frustrating. The last twenty percent is the best (if you make it that far). I like how everything came together. The ending was expected because the storylines are similar to those I have read in other novels. The Lost Bookshop has mystery, love, magic, and books. Three strangers who discover their stories by unlocking the secrets of a special bookstore. I wanted to like The Lost Bookshop, but I found it tedious to wade through it (long and slow). The Lost Bookshop is a book for bibliophiles with beloved books, a Parisian paramour, a brutal brother, a helpful position, an absent bookshop, phantastic happenings, and a magical culmination. Show Less
LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader
I was drawn into the bookshop by the cover design by Lucy Bennett and the cover photograph by Stephen Mulcahey. Opening the book, I learned a little boy was peeking in the window of Opaline’s Bookshop, fascinated and curious about what it would be like to venture inside. How wonderful to be waved
The story is told from multiple POVs: Martha Winter building a new life after escaping from an abusive husband, and Henry Field searching for a book hidden in a bookstore based on information from an old letter. Opaline’s narrative is intermingled, sharing her life story from 1921 in London to working with Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare and Company in Paris, returning to England in 1922 to visit the Brontë Society to heart-wrenching experiences and surprises beyond to 1952.
It is a magical excursion that shares the joy of books in a unique story that captures the history of the past, the fantasy of a vanishing bookshop, the love of the works by Emily Brontë, the possibility of a long-lost manuscript by Emily Brontë, the mingling of lives of booksellers, book dealers, and book collectors.
Many times, the story is heartwarming. There is also utter sadness in the power of men over women and not by strangers or acquaintances but by family. A story of years past, but we know the power of men over women in different ways, yet control is still present.
Reviewer’s Note: Evie Woods is the pseudonym of Evie Gaughan.
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inside, not shooed away, and then the offer of a story and a cup of tea.The story is told from multiple POVs: Martha Winter building a new life after escaping from an abusive husband, and Henry Field searching for a book hidden in a bookstore based on information from an old letter. Opaline’s narrative is intermingled, sharing her life story from 1921 in London to working with Sylvia Beach at Shakespeare and Company in Paris, returning to England in 1922 to visit the Brontë Society to heart-wrenching experiences and surprises beyond to 1952.
It is a magical excursion that shares the joy of books in a unique story that captures the history of the past, the fantasy of a vanishing bookshop, the love of the works by Emily Brontë, the possibility of a long-lost manuscript by Emily Brontë, the mingling of lives of booksellers, book dealers, and book collectors.
Many times, the story is heartwarming. There is also utter sadness in the power of men over women and not by strangers or acquaintances but by family. A story of years past, but we know the power of men over women in different ways, yet control is still present.
Reviewer’s Note: Evie Woods is the pseudonym of Evie Gaughan.
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LibraryThing member krazy4katz
I need to read this again to give it a rating. It was very confusing for me because there were 2 stories running in parallel at different times. Both women were endangered by their families. There was a bookstore, or maybe several bookstores, and the magic of bookstores and people coming and going.
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The mysterious and magical part was fun to read, but again, another read-through will be necessary to really comprehend everything that was happening. Show Less
LibraryThing member judithrs
The Lost Bookshop. Evie Woods. 2023. Well, this was a disappointment. There were some interesting facts about rare books and a some fun information about Silvia Beach and Shakespeare and Company, but there was also way too much fantasy and too many deus ex machina moments to suit me.
LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
[3.25] Books about books rarely miss the mark when they’re read by this armchair reviewer. Woods’ fascinating premise and her ability to vividly capture historical eras were additional reasons that fueled my early hopes that this would be a 4.5- or even 5-star tome. Unfortunately, this wasn’t
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to be. Put simply, my interest waned three times before finally hitting Woods’ twist-filled final chapters. The romantic angles seemed contrived and the layers of magical realism were disappointingly thin. Although I’ve enjoyed previous novels that embraced dual timelines, it didn’t work quite as effectively this time. Don’t get wrong. I loved the overriding theme that celebrates the powers that books possess to enhance and even transform lives. But “The Lost Bookshop” reinforced my hunch that some authors believe there’s an unwritten rule that works of fiction must approach or exceed 400 pages. Many tales — even compelling ones — would be more successfully spun in fewer words. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandyAMcPherson
The acquisition of books and the world of book-selling were intriguing aspects of Evie Woods' novel. The main characters (Opaline, Martha, Henry, and Madame Bowden) were intriguing and well-drawn. The story develops from two perspectives, Opaline's, in the past, and Henry's and Martha's in the
The illusory nature of Opaline's bookshop in Dublin was an interesting twist but it's appearance in Martha's life and ensuing developments towards the end of the book were confusing despite my twice re-reading the last half of the novel. Overall, the novel was engaging, with flashes of brilliant writing.
This two-timelines-approach was managed very nicely, except for the side trip into strife in Opaline's story. Without giving away the plot line, the final hijinks by Lyndon (Opaline's brother) detracted from the overarching chronicle of the book trade and bookshops. While this aspect brought forward a terrible social injustice, it was a very questionable theme to contribute to the story.
My exploration of this side-theme indicates that Ireland was indeed very entrenched in 1800's attitudes to incarceration in "lunatic asylums" (Ref: Brendan D. Kelly. The Mental Treatment Act 1945 in Ireland: an historical enquiry. History of Psychiatry, 2008, 19 (1), pp.47-67. 10.1177/0957154X06075949. hal-00570878) . Nevertheless, this aspect of the narrative detracted from the magical realism the author was developing and cast a pall that didn't lift for me.
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present. The illusory nature of Opaline's bookshop in Dublin was an interesting twist but it's appearance in Martha's life and ensuing developments towards the end of the book were confusing despite my twice re-reading the last half of the novel. Overall, the novel was engaging, with flashes of brilliant writing.
This two-timelines-approach was managed very nicely, except for the side trip into strife in Opaline's story. Without giving away the plot line, the final hijinks by Lyndon (Opaline's brother) detracted from the overarching chronicle of the book trade and bookshops. While this aspect brought forward a terrible social injustice, it was a very questionable theme to contribute to the story.
My exploration of this side-theme indicates that Ireland was indeed very entrenched in 1800's attitudes
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LibraryThing member zmagic69
Wow.
Interesting mashup up genres. A bit of historical fiction, a bit of a mystery, a bit of Fantasy.
This book had a lot of depth, very interesting storyline and characters you actually care about.
Excellent book.
Interesting mashup up genres. A bit of historical fiction, a bit of a mystery, a bit of Fantasy.
This book had a lot of depth, very interesting storyline and characters you actually care about.
Excellent book.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Cozy read with a touch of mysticism. I'd like to explore a shop like this. Recommended by a friend.
LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
This is a book that is hard to define. I enjoyed it, although the stretching of reality was not easy to wrap my head around. I also had to make notes about the characters in the beginning since I kept confusing who lived when and where. I enjoyed the stories of the different characters.
LibraryThing member shazjhb
A magical book about a manuscript which may or may not exist and a bookstore that may or may not exist. It is also a story of women surviving especially with nasty family members. This book is about live, magic, the power of books, and purpose
Pages
448
ISBN
0008609217 / 9780008609214