There is something about bookstores and war time historical fiction that makes for such a great pairing! When I read the description of this book I knew I had to get it on everyones radar! It sounds so charming and well researched that I couldn’t pass up at least bringing a feature to you guys! May calendar for reviews has been so full and I have been scaling back on some of my reviews just to keep up with life, work, and blogging. This one was so hard for me to decide on because it sounds so wonderful! I wanted to review it of course but could only fit in a feature. Now that doesn’t mean that I won’t review it in the future because hot damn it sound wonderful!
Like so many readers the Shakespeare and Company book store in Paris is practically legend! I was there years ago and absolutely loved it, but that was before I knew much about its history and significance in the reading world. Since then I have read other books and heard other fellow readers raving about the shop—-clearly it has a magical draw for readers and authors alike. When I saw this book tells a bit of the story of Shakespeare and Company, I jumped at the chance to feature it on my blog today!
If you are a reader and love visiting used bookstores—-this is the book for you! Author Kerri Maher has written other historical fiction novels, all of which have received rave reviews and are hailed as being well researched. I am sure this one will measure up. It is out now and I am sure you will all want to get this one on your reading radar for the spring! Check it out now!
Summary
The dramatic story of how a humble bookseller fought against incredible odds to bring one of the most important books of the 20th century to the world in this new novel from the author of The Girl in White Gloves.
When bookish young American Sylvia Beach opens Shakespeare and Company on a quiet street in Paris in 1919, she has no idea that she and her new bookstore will change the course of literature itself.
Shakespeare and Company is more than a bookstore and lending library: Many of the prominent writers of the Lost Generation, like Ernest Hemingway, consider it a second home. It’s where some of the most important literary friendships of the twentieth century are forged–none more so than the one between Irish writer James Joyce and Sylvia herself. When Joyce’s controversial novel Ulysses is banned, Beach takes a massive risk and publishes it under the auspices of Shakespeare and Company.
But the success and notoriety of publishing the most infamous and influential book of the century comes with steep costs. The future of her beloved store itself is threatened when Ulysses‘ success brings other publishers to woo Joyce away. Her most cherished relationships are put to the test as Paris is plunged deeper into the Depression and many expatriate friends return to America. As she faces painful personal and financial crises, Sylvia–a woman who has made it her mission to honor the life-changing impact of books–must decide what Shakespeare and Company truly means to her. (summary from Goodreads)
The Lit Bitch 