Synopses & Reviews
A witty, sharply observed debut novel about a young woman who finds unexpected salvation while working in a quirky used bookstore in Manhattan.
Impressionable and idealistic, Esme Garland is a young British woman who finds herself studying art history in New York. She loves her apartment and is passionate about the city and her boyfriend; her future couldn’t look brighter. Until she finds out that she’s pregnant.
Esme’s boyfriend, Mitchell van Leuven, is old-money rich, handsome, successful, and irretrievably damaged. When he dumps Esme — just before she tries to tell him about the baby — she resolves to manage alone. She will keep the child and her scholarship, while finding a part-time job to make ends meet. But that is easier said than done, especially on a student visa.
The Owl is a shabby, second-hand bookstore on the Upper West Side, an all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters: handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke; Chester, who hyperventilates at the mention of Lolita; George, the owner, who lives on protein shakes and idealism; and a motley company of the timeless, the tactless, and the homeless. The Owl becomes a nexus of good in a difficult world for Esme — but will it be enough to sustain her? Even when Mitchell, repentant and charming, comes back on the scene?
A rousing celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them, The Bookstore is also a story about emotional discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.
Review
"A deeply satisfying novel
you will keep close to your heart, written in a style by turns witty and
poetic." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"This is a gorgeous book,
witty, lyrical, and bursting with heart, an unabashed love letter to
books, to Manhattan, and to human goodness. You will race home to read
it, and when you finish you will be smiling, wondering what happened
next...and quietly formulating your next excuse for a trip to New
York City." Gabrielle Donnelly, author of The Little Women Letters
Review
"Sometimes a book is perfect company, and
The Bookstore is that and more, a deeply charming, beautifully
written novel, both funny and moving; a love song to a city and to books
with some side smooches for painting." Leslie Daniels, author of
Cleaning Nabokov's House
About the Author
Deborah Meyler was born in Manchester, read English at Oxford University, and completed a Master of Philosophy thesis on American fiction at St. Andrews University. She eventually moved to New York, where she worked in a bookshop for six years, sold paintings, and had three children. She now lives in Cambridge and is working on her next novel.