* * * * 1/2
A librarian inherits a bookshop from her estranged mother, leading her halfway across the world on a journey of self-discovery that transcends time and honors the unbreakable bonds of love and family.
When librarian Valentina Baker was a teenager, her mother, Eloise, unexpectedly fled to her native London, leaving Val and her father on their own. Now in her thirties and fresh out of a failed marriage, Val feels a nagging disenchantment with her life--and knows she is still heartbroken over her mother's abandonment.
In a bittersweet twist of fate, Val receives word that Eloise has passed away, leaving Val her Primrose Hill apartment and the deed to a bookshop Val never knew she'd owned. Though the news is devastating, Val finds herself more determined than ever to discover who her mother truly was. She jets across the Atlantic, departing Seattle for a new life in charming London.
Slowly but surely, Val begins to piece together Eloise's life in the UK, falling in love with her pastel-colored flat, cozy neighborhood, and tucked-away storefront. But when she discovers that The Book Garden is in danger of going under, Val must work with its eccentric staff to get it in working order. In the process, she learns more about Eloise than she ever thought possible. And as Val races to save the shop, Eloise's own story unfolds, leading both mother and daughter to unearth revelatory truths.
Source: NetGalley; ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
The main draw of With Love from London for me, and I suspect loads of other readers, is that it's a story about the love of books. How they transport you, how they comfort you and how magical they can be. As a librarian, Valentina knows all about this, having a love for books she inherited from her mother at a young age. Even after her mother disappeared from her life, Val continued to find solace in books, both old and new discoveries. Soon after her divorce, she receives word that her mother has passed away and that she is the beneficiary of her mother's treasured bookshop and flat. It fills Val with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she's still traumatized by her mother walking out on her. On the other, she's curious to learn what drew her mother back to her homeland and kept her there. And since she's divorced and has nothing at the moment to tie her down, she could use the the change of scenery.
With Love from London is charming from the get go. I could easily understand Val's apprehension about what lies ahead, just as easily as I could sense the wounded child within. She's looking for answers and doesn't realize how much she wants to understand her mother's motives until she arrives in London. I appreciated that the story was told in two POVs - Eloise's and Val's first person voice. In a way, both storylines are tragic. Both women in different ways experience perfect timing and bad timing, the paths taken and not taken, new opportunities that are born out of disappointments. It's also a joy to see how similar they are like when they have the same visceral reaction to the same book but decades apart. Val's journey to discover her mother's story is laid out through several riddles Eloise had set out for her before she passed.
I did cry a little at the end. I couldn't help it, it was just so darn sweet and poignant. Even with some predictable elements I thought the the story was engaging and lovely. I looked forward to it every time I picked it up because I knew that after the heartbreaks and grieving would come second chances. If anything, With Love from London is an ode to any passionate booklover out there of any age or genre, who appreciates how a good book is good for the soul!
~ Bel
Content warning:
- divorce, illness (Eloise - ovarian cancer; brief mention of the diagnosis but no graphic details)
No comments:
Post a Comment