The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

Books, family secrets, and scavenger hunts crash together in this debut novel and pull the reader into the world of Prospero Books for a wild ride. Miranda Brooks might be the main character but at the centre of this book is her recently deceased and estranged uncle, Billy. He has left his bookstore to Miranda along with a series of clues; those clues lead her through a journey of discovery about herself, her family, and the loves and losses that shape them all.

This is one of those books that you can just fall into and get wrapped up by it all. If Prospero Books were a real place, I would want to be there all the time. Meyerson has created a place that embodies the misfits and characters that in any other context would not work together half as well. The slow process of revealing bits and pieces of the entire story one clue at a time made the final part of the story that much more intriguing. When a family rift runs deep there are bound to be several sides to the story and this one does not disappoint. What appears to be an exercise in vengeance is soon revealed to actually be one of seeking forgiveness, in every sense of the word.

Bookshop of Yesterdays is a smooth read with just enough anticipation to keep you hooked until the very end. It encourages you not to judge people’s choices and mistakes too harshly as the truth of the matter often lies somewhere in the middle.