The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS by Amy Meyerson is a relaxing, gentle read and I was drawn to it initially by the publisher’s summary: “It’s a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a testament to how our histories shape who we become.”

The main character is Miranda Brooks who learns that her estranged Uncle Billy has died and left her the near-bankrupt store in Los Angeles named Prospero Books. As a child, she spent many happy hours there and now, as an adult, she attempts to complete a final scavenger hunt left by her uncle. In these riddles, he refers to numerous works of literature (The Tempest, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Jane Eyre, The Westing Game plus more) and I especially enjoyed the guessing aspect of this family story filled with secrets. Miranda, too, was a likeable, if troubled, character.

An excellent debut, THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS is another great airplane or beach read – I read most of it during a rainy Auckland winter day. In her acknowledgments, Meyerson conveys her spirit and the importance of books, saying, “Whenever I travel, I make sure to save a good chunk of time – and luggage space – for browsing local bookstores. I’m constantly inspired by the celebration of books, ideas and reading that persists in our communities through these bookshops.  Prospero Books is my ode to you and your shelves.”