Coming soon: The Bookseller's Secret by Michelle Gable

When I registered with Edelweiss I did not expect the sadness possessing me when a book is refused to me. But I did not even expect the joy of being granted the book of my choice. It was sheer happiness when I saw that The Bookseller's Secret was ready to be sent to my Kindle.

I had read Michelle Gable's A Paris Apartment, and I had really enjoyed her ability to mix the old and the new, the past and the present - and to bring figures from history back  to (fictional) life.

Here she returns to her readers with a novel which is her usual well balanced blend of history, women, coming-of-age, love for old Europe also. A funny and refreshing blend. 

The plot starts simply with a very drunken Katie, an American novelist, stuck in her writing and in her life in general. On a week-long holiday in London to somehow recover and to find maybe some inspiration for her next novel, she unexpectedly finds much more than that - just by entering a bookshop. A bookshop (or a library) is just one magical place for anybody who loves books. The setting was one of the reasons why I picked this one. 

Katie finds here the opportunity to dig deeper into her favourite authoress' life, Nancy Mitford, and she (almost) solves a literary mystery, while finding love; she understands what she wants from life, and especially what she doesn't want. And also her inspiration finally comes. While the finale is a real finale, there is still space for a TBC - will we see more of Katharine Cabot? 

The flashbacks into Nancy Mitford's life are my favourite bits, though. Of course, some facts are fictional, but Ms. Gable explains it all at the end of the book, with some notes that are really helpful, welcome and stimulating. Above all, her novel raises curiosity about the Midford family and - for sure - Nancy's novels. 

Last but not least, the book provides also very sensible advice for writers, on how to find their inspiration. After all, Katie is a writer, even if she has not published in years. 

I would recommend this book to anybody who likes women's fiction, historical fiction, those who are interested in the Mitfords and to all those who have already had the privilege to read and enjoy Ms. Gable's novels. This one will not disappoint you.

Available on August 17, 2021

[Disponibile in italiano con il titolo I segreti di una libraia, pubblicato da Newton Compton.]