365 Days of Books

This is more like it! The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald is a slim book that contains a world of real people living real lives. Florence Green has decided to open a bookshop in her small town. The people, the books, the systems of aide and support are all interwoven and detailed. This brave decision to change a staid life is countered by the whim of a wealthy person who wants her own way. Using power because it is possible and not for any deeper reason, Mrs. Gamart moralizes that she's working for the betterment of the community as she strips everything from Mrs. Green. She has stripped friendship, hope, home, and livlihood before she has accomplished her goal.

I would recommend this book to several women I know in their 20's to 40's, several men of the same age bracket, and to a teacher who runs an ESL school in an Asian country (the clarity of the writing as well as the detailed context make this book excellent for mid-level new English speakers.