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This droll and wicked novel is about a passionate woman who dreams of opening a bookstore in a quaint English village. Penelope Fitzgerald is a masterful writer and in my opinion, this is one of her best books. Five stars.
Feb 01, 2019
Lisa of Hopewell
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The Story
In the late 1950s, Florence Green decides to open a bookshop in a damp-ridden, abandoned building in a British nowheresville. Fitzgerald let’s you feel the enui of the town, smell the sea salt and feel the lingering war-weariness of the place and its inhabitants. She is the consummate outsider but garners help from the local Sea Scouts and a savvy ten-year-old assistant. Florence sees that the town needs livening up, but the local Grande Dame has a different vision for how to do this. E ...more
In the late 1950s, Florence Green decides to open a bookshop in a damp-ridden, abandoned building in a British nowheresville. Fitzgerald let’s you feel the enui of the town, smell the sea salt and feel the lingering war-weariness of the place and its inhabitants. She is the consummate outsider but garners help from the local Sea Scouts and a savvy ten-year-old assistant. Florence sees that the town needs livening up, but the local Grande Dame has a different vision for how to do this. E ...more
When Florence Green decides to use her small inheritance to open a bookshop in a seaside village, everything from lack of traffic to village customs seem against her. So, one might expect a heartwarming turn around? Instead, Fitzgerald provides an engaging fictional illustration of the struggle for petty power in small, insular communities.
Jan 14, 2009
Suzanne
marked it as to-read
Oct 13, 2009
Joseph
marked it as to-read
Nov 17, 2011
Bookchick
marked it as to-read
