The Bookshop of Yesterdays

by Amy Meyerson

Overview

Look for Amy Meyerson’s new novel The Imperfects, a captivating literary page-turner.

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

Best Books of Summer 2018 Selection by Philadelphia Inquirer and Library Journal

“Part mystery and part drama, Meyerson uses a complex family dynamic in The Bookshop of Yesterdays to spotlight the importance of truth and our need for forgiveness.” —Associated Press

A woman inherits a beloved bookstore and sets forth on a journey of self-discovery in this poignant debut about family, forgiveness and a love of reading.

Miranda Brooks grew up in the stacks of her eccentric Uncle Billy’s bookstore, solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on Miranda’s twelfth birthday, Billy has a mysterious falling-out with her mother and suddenly disappears from Miranda’s life. She doesn’t hear from him again until sixteen years later when she receives unexpected news: Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is teetering on bankruptcy—and one final scavenger hunt.

When Miranda returns home to Los Angeles and to Prospero Books—now as its owner—she finds clues that Billy has hidden for her inside novels on the store’s shelves, in locked drawers of his apartment upstairs, in the name of the store itself. Miranda becomes determined to save Prospero Books and to solve Billy’s last scavenger hunt. She soon finds herself drawn into a journey where she meets people from Billy’s past, people whose stories reveal a history that Miranda’s mother has kept hidden—and the terrible secret that tore her family apart.

Bighearted and trenchantly observant, The Bookshop of Yesterdays is a lyrical story of family, love and the healing power of community. It’s a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a testament to how our histories shape who we become.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781488078736
Publisher:	Park Row Books
Publication date:	06/12/2018
Sold by:	HARLEQUIN
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	6,127
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Amy Meyerson teaches in the writing department at the University of Southern California, where she completed her graduate work in creative writing. She has been published in numerous literary magazines and currently lives in Los Angeles. The Bookshop of Yesterdays is her first novel.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2018
Sixteen years after she last saw her Uncle Billy, Miranda Brooks learns that he has passed away and she has inherited his Los Angeles-based store, Prospero Books. Named for Prospero's daughter in The Tempest, a theme recurrent throughout the novel, Miranda follows clues she believes her uncle sent her to unravel the story of his past. The path leads her to people who fill in the holes she didn't know she had in her own story. At first, Miranda's parents are thrilled that she has returned home, but soon her mother is not talking and a wedge is driven between them. With her personal life in shambles and the bookstore in financial straits, Miranda moves into Billy's apartment above the shop and sets out on a quest of self-discovery, taking a chance on revitalizing the store and discovering love where she least expects it. VERDICT Meyerson's debut is a sweet read filled with family, love, and healing. Readers who enjoy Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be charmed by this tale of self-discovery and new beginnings.—Jane Blue, Andrews P.L., NC

Library Journal

03/26/2018
In her heartfelt debut, Meyerson brings readers on a scavenger hunt full of literary clues and family secrets. Miranda Brooks feels her life is finally coming together—she adores teaching high school history in Philadelphia and has decided to settle there, taking the big step of moving in with her boyfriend, a fellow teacher. But Miranda’s cozy life is thrown into tumult when she receives a mysterious package after the sudden death of her estranged uncle Billy, who she hasn’t spoken to since a falling-out between him and her mother years before. Once a huge part of her life, Billy used to invite Miranda to his Los Angeles bookshop, Prospero Books, where they would read and solve riddles he thought up. But, on Miranda’s 12th birthday, her mother and Billy had a mysterious fight, and Miranda hasn’t heard from him since. After his death, Miranda travels to L.A., where she learns that Billy has left her Prospero Books—along with a literary clue to one final adventure he wanted to share with her. She works with the devoted staff to revive the old store, all the while following Billy’s clues, which lead her to hidden family secrets. Filled with quotes from and allusions to The Tempest, The Wizard of Oz, and Jane Eyre, Meyerson’s evocative novel is a fun homage to book lovers and the eclectic spirit of L.A. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] novel... you can lose yourself in." —Bustle

"Charming." —HelloGiggles

"Perfect for summer vacation." —Southern Living

"[A] great read." —Philadelphia Inquirer, Best Book of Summer 2018 selection

“Part mystery and part drama, Meyerson uses a complex family dynamic in The Bookshop of Yesterdays to spotlight the importance of truth and our need for forgiveness.” —Associated Press

“[Readers] will be charmed by this tale of self-discovery and new beginnings.” —Library Journal, Best Debut of Summer 2018 selection

“Meyerson writes beautifully... A lovely look at loss, family, and the comfort found in a good bookstore.” —Kirkus Reviews

“[A] novel with an unalloyed sweetness at its heart.” —Toronto Star

“Heartfelt.... Meyerson's evocative novel is a fun homage to book lovers and the eclectic spirit of L.A.” —Publishers Weekly

“A charming family story for lovers of books and bookshops... [and] anyone who longs to get lost in a good book.” —Bookreporter.com

“An incredible read... intimately interwoven with lessons and stories from classic and popular literature, and the bookstore setting is dreamy.” —Manhattan Book Review

“Terrifically fun… Part riddle, part mystery, part family drama, part a bookstore lover's dream, and then more." —Aimee Bender, New York Times bestselling author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

“[Meyerson’s] affection for all things literary pours forth on every page and through a cast of characters every book lover will embrace.” —Charlie Lovett, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookman's Tale

“This delightful, propulsive debut is part cozy literary mystery, part family drama, and 100% heart. [A] page-turner in the best sense.” —J. Ryan Stradal, New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest

“I was hooked from the start…. An homage to books—to the pleasures they can bring, and the loving connections they can conjure.” —Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

“Captivates with its emotional honesty, fully realized characters, and precision of detail… Meyerson is a writer to watch.” —Diane McKinney-Whetstone, bestselling author of Tumbling and Lazaretto

“A heartfelt triumph! This suspenseful scavenger hunt will keep the pages turning late at night.” —Suzanne Rindell, author of Eagle & Crane and The Other Typist

“[A] charming novel, full of passion and suspense.” —Judith Freeman, author of The Long Embrace: Raymond Chandler and the Woman He Loved

“The best kind of hybrid—part mystery, part romance, part family drama. I devoured it!” —Emily Jeanne Miller, author of The News from the End of the World

“Twisty, heartfelt and uplifting.” —Deborah Lawrenson, author of 300 Days of Sun

“Lovely, charming, and full of heart.” —Lindsey Lee Johnson, author of The Most Dangerous Place on Earth

From the Publisher

2018-03-20
A woman inherits her late uncle's struggling bookstore in Meyerson's debut novel.Miranda once idolized her uncle Billy—he was charming, adventurous, and always let her pick out any book she wanted from his store, Prospero Books. He planned elaborate scavenger hunts and was full of surprises. But on the night of her 12th birthday, Billy and her mother have an explosive fight. Miranda doesn't know what happened between them, but she loses touch with Billy—until years later, when she's a teacher in Philadelphia. Billy is dead, but he left her his bookstore—and a mysterious book and letter. Determined to figure out what's going on, Miranda returns to Los Angeles and embarks on her final scavenger hunt, following clues that introduce her to books and people from Billy's past. No one will tell her why Billy disappeared from her life—not her mother, her father, or the employees at Prospero Books—so the scavenger hunt is her only hope to figure out what happened. Miranda quickly finds out that Billy wasn't just the fun-loving uncle she remembers—his life was also full of tragedy. As Miranda learns about his history, she must also juggle trying to save Prospero Books and deciding what she wants out of her life. Should she return to teaching and her boyfriend in Philadelphia, or would she rather stay with her family and her bookstore in LA? Miranda's quest to learn more about her uncle leads to some surprises and plenty of references to literature, with clues hidden in classics like Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, and Bridge to Terabithia. Meyerson writes beautifully, with lush descriptions of LA and believable interactions between characters. Prospero Books is warm, inviting, and populated with lovably quirky employees readers will want to get to know.A lovely look at loss, family, and the comfort found in a good bookstore.

Kirkus Reviews