The Lost Bookshop
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a dual-timeline contemporary/ historical fiction novel with romance, magical realism, and mystery elements told from three perspectives. If it sounds like a lot is going on, that’s because there is. It got complicated at times but stayed away from convoluted. I debated between three and four stars, but I’m feeling generous. Why not? I read it. I liked it. It was entertaining.
While it wasn’t my favorite book, I do think it would make an excellent book club read.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods (affiliate link)
The First Perspective
Opaline Carliel is a young woman from the 1920’s English “middle-class”. Her loving father has passed away. In his absence, Opaline’s much older brother commands her to marry a stranger. She refuses. He threatens her. She pretends to comply and secretly sells her father’s rare book to buy her way to Paris and escape her brother, for now.
The Second Perspective
Martha (no last name) is a contemporary Irish woman who has finally had enough of her husband’s beatings and is also on the run. She’s leaving her home, family, and little village, for anywhere else. ‘Anywhere’ ends up being Dublin. Where she becomes the housekeeper for an eccentric old lady and hides from her husband, for now.
She meets Henery. He’s cute, like a lost puppy, and seems nice. But the last thing she’s looking for is getting involved with a guy.
The Third Perspective
Last, but certainly not least, Henry Littleton. A misunderstood English bookworm who follows his passion for rare books to Dublin. He’s looking for the ‘lost manuscript’ and the lost bookshop along with it. It should be right next to the house Martha is living in/ employed by, but all he finds is an empty ally. If he doesn’t locate the manuscript his career is over. If he does, he might not be an unlovable good-for-nothing after all.
The Begining
I love the start of this book. Three strong characters. Separate perspectives and lives that you know are going to weave together. The tension of two women on the run. An out-of-place and over-eager scholar. And a mysterious older lady. Throw in the French love interest. What could go wrong?
The Middle
***Spoilers beyond this point. Read at your own risk.***
Opaline
This is where things start to fall apart for me. I’m still in it. I’m still reading but Opaline’s character is confusing… She was strong, determined, and so against being used and manipulated. There were no hints that she was at all interested in romance. And yet, the first guy she meets she falls in love with? That would be fine, except she told us she needed to stay away from him.
So they fall in love, kind of. Because Opaline still doesn’t trust him. It looks like he’s cheating on her, but he says he’s not. So, sure, let’s go back to his place. Their sex scene? Meh.
I’m just not buying it.
Aside from the romance thing, Opaline gets a job at the famous Shakespeare and Company bookshop before it’s famous. She makes good friends and learns the trade.
Martha
Martha, on the other hand, is killing it. She’s healing and rebuilding her life. It’s not easy but she’s learning to trust herself and others again. She’s standing up for herself, thinking about going to school, and overcoming her fear of books. She applies to Trinity College.
She misses her mom but is happy in Dublin. Her room is growing a tree (magical realism) and gives her the books she wants/ needs. And bits of a story come to her that she is compelled to get tattooed on her back.
We as the reader realize that Opaline’s bookshop is the ‘lost bookshop’ and that Martha’s house is a part of the magic.
Henry
Then there’s Henry. He’s into Martha, even though he has a fiance. And he needs to find the manuscript but keeps hitting dead ends. But when he sees Martha at the library he can tell how uncomfortable she is and wants to help. He has his past with his alcoholic father to help him sympathize.
The Plot Thickens
Opaline
Opaline’s brother finds her in Paris and wants her to marry the stranger. Turns out her brother is a bigger jerk than we thought. The French love interest helps her escape and she goes to Ireland where she opens a bookshop. AND has a crush on her married landlord.
As far as I can tell this crush was totally unnecessary. It undermines Opaline’s character and solidifies my suspicions that she will go for anything male who moves.
She lives happily in Ireland, finds Bronte’s lost manuscript, and gets pregnant by the French lover when he’s in town for work. But she can handle it.
Until her brother finds her again and has her committed to an asylum. Her baby is stillborn.
Martha
She’s falling for Henry. They’ve been able to open up to each other like they haven’t anyone else. It must be true love. It’s scary, but they kiss under the streetlamp. All is well.
Until her husband finds her. He tells her that her mom is sick with cancer and that she has to come home with him right now. Martha’s employer is old and weird, but she’s nobody’s fool. She orders the husband to leave.
Martha calls home. Her mom is not sick.
Henry
Henry leaves a note for Martha that he has to go back to London to break things off with his fiance. He does and goes to hang out with his family for a bit. His sister has her baby early and he gets caught up helping with family stuff. Martha isn’t answering his calls. But everything is probably fine.
On a personal note, his dad is in rehab and his sister is on good terms with him. She thinks he should deal with his daddy issues. He doesn’t want anything to do with him.
But he found a lead on the manuscript front, thanks to Martha’s suggestions.
The End
Opaline
Opaline escapes from the asylum. She uncovers her brother’s war crimes and works with a journalist to expose him. She confronts him before the article is printed. He confesses that he’s not her brother. When he was young he had his own French affair and Opaline was left on his doorstep.
He also admits that her baby wasn’t stillborn. He sold her into adoption.
Opaline tells him about the article. He kills himself as she leaves. She writes a book that will help her baby find her way back to her. And lives happily ever after with the soldier who was kind to her after she escaped.
Martha
Martha’s husband comes back to confront Martha about Henry. His friend saw them kissing. This time he’s drunk and angry. He hits her. Martha is worried about her employer. But as the husband is pulling her away from the stairwell he gets pushed or tripped… he lands at the bottom of the stairs dead.
Her employer covers everything up. And she goes to his funeral. She’s mad at Henry for leaving.
Her mom speaks for the first time. And tells Martha about her grandmother who was adopted. And the rest of the story ends up on her back without her tattooing it.
Henry
Henry goes to see his dad. They still have a lot to resolve but maybe there’s a chance for them to have a relationship.
He’s still searching for the manuscript, but he really just wants to be with Martha. He takes her to the asylum where Opaline was imprisoned. They find a photo.
In the photo, Martha notices words on Opaline’s skirt. The same words that she has tattooed on her back. She tells Henry. It’s the lost manuscript.
Resolution
Martha is the great-granddaughter of Opaline Carlise. The ‘lost bookshop’ comes back and Martha runs it. She and Henry live happily ever after.
Content Warnings
There are themes of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, suicide, and the oppression of women. I didn’t find any of these to be graphic or overly sensationalized.