Book Review: The Printer Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay

    As the title suggests, this book is about a (local) bookshop which contains valuable letters and has a very cozy and warm atmosphere. Madeline (referred to as Aunt Maddie), the owner of the shop passes it on to her niece, also named Madeline, with whom she has a strained relationship. So, when the younger Madeline (aged around 30) inherits her aunt’s shop and her house after her aunt's demise, she realizes that she not only has to keep the struggling store running but that she also holds the responsibility of taking her aunt’s legacy forward.

     Though Madeline (a lawyer by profession) plans to sell the store, the employees of the bookstore, Janet (in her early sixties) and Claire (in her late forties) have different ideas. The bookstore is more than just a workplace to these women and they intend to keep the store running by planning events/sales for raising funds for the store. It is during this process where the trio Madeline, Janet, and Claire form an unlikely friendship irrespective of their different backgrounds, experiences and age groups. How they meander through their own complicated personal lives whilst keeping up the bookshop forms a very interesting narrative and forms the crux of the book. Also, the memories of Aunt Maddie and her relationship with the leading women are an important part of this book mainly because Aunt Maddie's character can be cherished as an epitome of positivity, generous and helping nature by all customers and the like.

    The best part of this book is its narrative style where the story is told from all the three protagonists’ points of view and the readers get to know different perspectives of the same events of the day. It can be a little confusing in the beginning but once you get the hang of it, it is quite engaging. The story is also quite relatable because the three leading characters are of different age groups and each person’s story has all the elements that a person goes through at that respective age. The bonus that book lovers get is a list of recommended books that can change their lives and create a positive impact.

The Printed Letter Bookshop changes the lives of its characters in a remarkable manner and it’ll definitely leave a lasting impact on its readers’ lives too.