The Lost and Found Bookshop: A Novel
The Lost and Found Bookshop: A Novel book cover

The Lost and Found Bookshop: A Novel

Hardcover – Picture Book, July 7, 2020

Price
$15.39
Format
Hardcover
Pages
368
Publisher
William Morrow
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062914095
Dimensions
6 x 1.17 x 9 inches
Weight
1 pounds

Description

“An unputdownable, true book lover’s book that fans of women’s fiction, slow-burning romance, and the novels of Nora Roberts and Kristin Hannah will love.” — Library Journal (starred review) "A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now.xa0 Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life.xa0 Lovely!" — Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing In The Rain “What a warm and deeply satisfying story! Reading it is like feeling the summer sun after a long winter.” — Erica Bauermeister, New York Times bestselling author of The Scent Keeper “A gentle love story perfect for anyone looking for love amid personal, family, and financial crises.” — Kirkus Reviews “A feel-good family saga… A charming tale about the silver linings of unwanted detours." — People "The Lost and Found Bookshop is an excellent story that resonates on multiple levels. Its rich variety of engaging characters live within a vivid San Francisco tapestry. The characters drive the outstanding plot, with intriguing historical mystery elements layered into the contemporary story." — Shelf Awareness Susan Wiggs's life is all about family, friends…and fiction. She lives at the water's edge on an island in Puget Sound, and in good weather, she commutes to her writers' group in a 21-foot motorboat. She’s been featured in the national media, including NPR, PRI, and USA Today , has given programs for the US Embassies in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, and is a popular speaker locally, nationally, internationally, and on the high seas. From the very start, her writings have illuminated the everyday dramas of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her books celebrate the power of love, the timeless bonds of family and the fascinating nuances of human nature. Today, she is an international best-selling, award-winning author, with millions of copies of her books in print in numerous countries and languages. According to Publishers Weekly , Wiggs writes with "refreshingly honest emotion," and the Salem Statesman Journal adds that she is "one of our best observers of stories of the heart [who] knows how to capture emotion on virtually every page of every book." Booklist characterizes her books as "real and true and unforgettable." Her novels have appeared in the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List, and have captured readers’ hearts around the globe with translations into more than 20 languages and 30 countries. She is a three-time winner of the RITA Award,. Her recent novel, The Apple Orchard , is currently being made into a film, and The Lakeshore Chronicles has been optioned for adaptation into a series. The author is a former teacher, a Harvard graduate, an avid hiker, an amateur photographer, a good skier and terrible golfer, yet her favorite form of exercise is curling up with a good book. She lives on an island in Puget Sound, where she divides her time between sleeping and waking.

Features & Highlights

  • "A wonderful exploration of the past and the future and, most importantly, of what it means to be present in the here and now.  Full of the love of words, the love of family, and the love of falling in love, The Lost and Found Bookshop is a big-hearted gem of a novel that will satisfy and entertain readers from all walks of life.  Lovely!"
  • —Garth Stein,
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author of
  • The Art of Racing In The Rain
  • In this thought-provoking, wise and emotionally rich novel,
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Susan Wiggs explores the meaning of happiness, trust, and faith in oneself as she asks  the question,
  • "If you had to start over, what would you do and who would you be?"
  • There is a book for everything . . .
  • Somewhere in the vast Library of the Universe, as Natalie thought of it, there was a book that embodied exactly the things she was worrying about.
  • In the wake of a shocking tragedy, Natalie Harper inherits her mother’s charming but financially strapped bookshop in San Francisco. She also becomes caretaker for her ailing grandfather Andrew, her only living relative—not counting her scoundrel father.
  • But the gruff, deeply kind Andrew has begun displaying signs of decline. Natalie thinks it’s best to move him to an assisted living facility to ensure the care he needs. To pay for it, she plans to close the bookstore and sell the derelict but valuable building on historic Perdita Street, which is in need of constant fixing. There’s only one problem–Grandpa Andrew owns the building and refuses to sell. Natalie adores her grandfather; she’ll do whatever it takes to make his final years happy. Besides, she loves the store and its books provide welcome solace for her overwhelming grief.
  • After she moves into the small studio apartment above the shop, Natalie carries out her grandfather’s request and hires contractor Peach Gallagher to do the necessary and ongoing repairs. His young daughter, Dorothy, also becomes a regular at the store, and she and Natalie begin reading together while Peach works.
  • To Natalie’s surprise, her sorrow begins to dissipate as her life becomes an unexpected journey of new connections, discoveries and revelations, from unearthing artifacts hidden in the bookshop’s walls, to discovering the truth about her family, her future, and her own heart.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(4.7K)
★★★★
25%
(2K)
★★★
15%
(1.2K)
★★
7%
(548)
-7%
(-549)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Could have been great..

Good storyline. Author used profanity when there was no need for it. That type language didn't seem to fit the characters that were using it. That was a real turn off for me. Moved a little slow.
131 people found this helpful
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Likeable Characters

This book is a little slow and a lot blue! Blue meaning depressing. The storyline is predictable and has too many "coincidental" findings. The saving grace of this book is that the characters are likeable and you want to see them come out into the sunshine because there are a lot of black clouds in their storylines! Overall though, an okay read. I would suggest checking it out of the library rather than spending money on it because it for me is not a return to my shelf for a second read at some point, so, I gave it away.
42 people found this helpful
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Another Winner from Susan Wiggs

Susan Wiggs never disappoints and Lost And Found Bookshop is no exception. The characters are believable, the story relevant.

This will be an enjoyable read no matter on the beach or safe at home.
28 people found this helpful
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Not a realistic ending

I did not like the ending....it felt rushed and tied the story together in the last 3-4 pages. Disappointing. REALLY....smoking weed after a night together. That just didn’t” fit” the story ( no weed in the rest of the book. Just didn’t work)
22 people found this helpful
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Pretty Boring and Slow-Moving

Not the best book by Susan Wiggs, I'm afraid to say, and I've read plenty of her novels. I have to force myself to keep reading it, just trying to get through it.

Most of it I find frustrating and I'm not crazy about any of the characters other than little, brilliant Dorothy.

Having personally had a mother who had, and died from, Alzheimer's a few years ago, I don't especially enjoy reading about others going through this horrible disease and I wish it wasn't one of the storylines of this book.
13 people found this helpful
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"Don't be afraid of death, be afraid of an unlived life."

Natalie Harper's single mom, Blythe, runs an independent bookstore in San Francisco. In addition, Blythe is the devoted caregiver of her father, Andrew, who is in his eighties and has become increasingly forgetful. Natalie adores her mother, and admires her strength of character, love of literature, and people skills, but she wishes that they had spent more time together over the years. Natalie has a job in Sonoma County that she loathes; is hesitant to commit to her handsome and good-hearted boyfriend, Rick; and is skeptical about her future prospects for happiness and fulfillment.

Susan Wiggs' "The Lost and Found Bookshop" is a charming novel about a young woman who is struggling emotionally, even before an unexpected tragedy forces her to take over Blythe's store and look after Andrew, whom she calls Grandy. The characters are beautifully delineated, and Wiggs handles such themes as love, fate, grief, and the tough decisions that can make or break us with warmth, humor, and compassion. Suddenly, Natalie finds herself juggling a great many tasks, such as renovating the dilapidated bookshop and balancing its books. At least, Blythe had hired a handyman, Peach Gallagher, who is good-natured, hard-working, and skilled at electrical work, plumbing, and carpentry. Moreover, Natalie worries about her grandfather, who is becoming increasingly frail. When Grandy is up to it, he and Natalie reminisce about the past, look into their family history, and make some surprising discoveries.

Thanks to a series of serendipitous events, the heroine meets a wealthy and handsome children's book author who becomes infatuated with her. Should she quit her old job and try to save a failing business that can never turn a profit? Why not marry a rich man who will give her the security that she needs? A third option is to sell the shop and place Grandy in an assisted living facility. We can relate to Natalie's confusion and uncertainty as she tries to put her priorities in order. The most satisfying aspects of this enchanting tale are its emphasis on the glory of reading for pleasure; the importance of bonding with our loved ones before it is too late; and the joy we derive from friends who share our values and interests. Although the conclusion is a bit too pat and predictable, on the whole "The Lost and Found Bookshop" is a delightful and engrossing work of fiction.
8 people found this helpful
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This is AWFUL!

I read about 35% of the book and the author was still setting the context--which could have been done in one or two chapters. Also, it seems to have been written for women--lots of irrelevant details about the clothing each person was wearing, and a budding romance with additional descriptions of the physical appearance of the characters--again, overdone and irrelevant. If you like that sort of thing, YMMV. The author does know how to turn an elegant phrase.
7 people found this helpful
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Boring

I really wanted to love this book but it didn’t turn out that way for me. Found it quite boring & the characters too. Just my opinion though.
7 people found this helpful
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Do Your Brain Good and Pick Up a Classic Novel Instead

Love the jacket art and the story blurb, but I could not justify reading a rather poorly written book with such a trite and predictable plot. You know from the first few pages how the last few pages are going to end. Why do authors feel they have to keep writing more novels after their prime has come and gone? It's called "prime" for a reason. Let one go Ms. Wiggs. Let one go.
5 people found this helpful
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Mostly Lost

I found this to be what I'd call a teenage book. The storyline isn't new. It's about a displaced daughter who finds a new life in an old book store. There are hidden treasures in the walls, and lo! and behold! an earthquake reveals a hidden stone chamber with museum-quality artifacts. I skipped lots of pages and never missed them. Of course she meets Prince Charming and also the ugly frog. Ho hum
5 people found this helpful