The Lost Bookshop

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods unfolds across two parallel timelines, following the intertwined lives of Opaline, Martha, and Henry, whose stories alternate chapter by chapter. Hovering at the edges is the enigmatic Madame Bowden, adding an extra layer of intrigue to an already richly woven narrative.
This is a magical novel filled with mystery and gentle romance, where books themselves feel alive and full of secrets. Woods excels at creating unconventional characters who are strikingly ahead of their time, especially the women, whose courage and curiosity quietly challenge the constraints placed upon them.
What makes this story especially engaging is how it invites the reader to pause and ponder—about identity, freedom, and the power show more of stories—without placing limits on the imagination. The Lost Bookshop is both comforting and thought-provoking, a novel for anyone who believes in the quiet magic of books and the lives they change. show less

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a gentle, enchanting novel that celebrates books, storytelling, and the quiet magic of finding oneself when life feels most fractured. Blending contemporary fiction with historical mystery and a touch of magical realism, this novel is a love letter to readers who believe that books are more than objects—they are refuges, mirrors, and sometimes even lifelines.

At its heart, this is a story about disappearing and reappearing—of people who feel invisible, stories that were almost lost to time, and the strange, beautiful ways lives can intersect across centuries.

Plot Overview (Spoiler-Free)

The novel follows Opaline, Martha, and Henry, three characters separated by time but bound together by books and a show more mysterious bookshop that appears—and disappears—on a quiet Dublin street.

Opaline, living in the early 20th century, is a young woman who rejects the rigid expectations placed upon her and finds solace and purpose in rare books and forgotten stories.

Martha, in the present day, is running from an abusive past and trying to rebuild her life piece by piece.

Henry, a literature scholar, becomes obsessed with a vanished bookshop and the woman who once owned it.

As their narratives slowly weave together, the novel reveals how stories echo through time, how knowledge is preserved (or erased), and how courage often begins in quiet defiance rather than grand gestures. show less

"The thing about books, is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of." On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…
We learn the story through 3 people's POV's and over a dual timeline. Opaline, Martha, and Henry. We follow their lives and Henry’s dogged determination to find a missing bookshop. You didn't misread...the book shop is gone, no longer where it should have been or where it was yesterday...poof, vanished into thin air.

We start with Opaline’s story and return to 1920’s Dublin, Ireland. We learn of her struggles to escape her claustrophobic family life and the arranged marriage that her brother has lined up for her. Her love of books takes her to France show more as she begins working in a bookshop there. Her new life is threatened; she returns home and tries once again to make her life her own. Martha finally had the courage to leave her abusive husband and find work as a housemaid to a very reclusive lady who appears to have some strange habits. Despite that, she does seem to actually care about Martha, and we see that this becomes evident further along into the story.

The present-day account is told by Martha and Henry. Henry is a bit "over focused"...but he is a true academic. He is absolutely determined to find out what has happened to the bookshop that should have been located right next to the house where Martha is now working. He is totally convinced that he has actually physically been inside that very shop, and now there is no trace of it whatsoever.

As the story goes on you can see similarities between Opaline and Martha and their circumstances. Although times had somewhat changed, it showed that for some people, the attitudes certainly had not. The way "strong" women; women that thought for themselves and didn't bend to the will of others, especially the male sex, was thought of at that time, was never going to end well. As we become involved in the stories of these three characters, you are always holding out the hope that they will all eventually find what they are looking for.

I thought to start with that Henry was going to be the character that I mostly admired and related to. He was so sure and so focused on finding what he wanted, but I soon found that he had almost no thought for others, and when he simply disappeared from Martha’s life for a short while, it was almost a relief.

What mostly attracted me to the book, other than my friendly librarian handing it to me and saying "here, read this"....and what mostly kept me reading was that diffident magical and mystical element that runs throughout the past and into the present-day timeline. The further I got into the story the more I looked forward to these "magical" parts, and as more and more is revealed, the timelines merge together. Folks have so many different reading tastes that I almost never recommend books...but if you like stories to have that bit of mystery, myth and magic, then you may like this one. show less

What could be more fun than a magical journey in search of a bookshop? Evie Woods offers us the chance to get to know her fragile, flawed characters as they discover their true selves and gain the ability to move forward with confidence and joy. The story is told from three points of view and two timelines. In 1921, Opaline escapes a tyrannical family that insisted on an arranged marriage. In the present day, Martha escapes an abusive marriage and finds camaraderie with a PhD candidate who is chasing a rare manuscript. In the midst of the ups and downs of each character’s narrative, there is laughter, joy, sadness and tragedy. There is a theme of feminism that runs throughout. I have found the characters to be unforgettable.

The Lost Bookshop by Irish author Evie Woods is historical fiction meets magical realism with lashings of romance. Published in 2023 to great acclaim, the novel unfolds in alternating chapters and features three main characters.

In 1921, Opaline has run away to France to avoid an arranged marriage at the hands of her brother and finds a job working for Shakespeare and Company bookshop. With an eye for buying and selling antiquarian books her overbearing brother is hot on her trail, sending her to an asylum when he catches up with her in Dublin and finds her pregnant out of wedlock.

The contemporary narrative is set in Dublin where Martha escapes an abusive relationship and takes a job working as a housekeeper for the eccentric Mrs Bowden. show more Henry is a PhD student searching for a rare manuscript and a bookshop he walked into but can never find again when he meets Martha.

All three narratives were first person perspectives and there were many literary references and bookish quotes to keep book lovers turning the pages. I particularly enjoyed this one concerning the motivations of a rare book dealer:

"Never trust a book dealer who lets sentimentality get in the way. I had to own it because there is only one of it in the world - that's all there is to it. If I own it, then no one else can. I have known men to hazard their fortunes, go long journeys halfway about the world, forget friendships, even lie, cheat, and steal, all for the gain of a book." Page 169

The author does an excellent job creating a bookish atmosphere and I longed to browse the aisles of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in addition to the mysterious shelves of the lost bookshop of the title.

However, there were romantic relationships in all three narratives that quickly grew tiresome. All too often, romance bogs down a far more interesting plot and this was the case for me here. I also found it difficult to accept that both Opaline and Martha would be ready for romance without more breathing time after their respective prior experiences.

There are some significant elements of magical realism in the story - largely focussed around Martha for some inexplicable reason - and most of these were creative and absorbing, but never adequately explained.

At the end there were a number of loose narrative threads that were left unresolved and too many unanswered questions about the true identity of Mrs Bowden when I wanted needed answers.

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods will appeal to book lovers who enjoy historical fiction, magical realism and romance and who don't mind finding the meaning between the lines. show less

Sometimes, a book's beautiful cover will taunt a reader into buying it. Such was the case for me. Of course, just the title alone was a tease.

I was anticipating a tender bookish read with a touch of romance to it. It turned out to be so much more. The settings in Dublin and Paris brought back a flood of wonderful memories. The two female protagonists Opaline and Martha rise up against societal norm. One, chooses not to marry a stranger just for the financial and societal gain of her family and the other has the courage to flee an abusive husband. Each finds solace in the company of books. There is also Henry whose quest to find a missing address, crosses paths with Martha and the relationship blooms into a lovely friendship (or is it show more more than that?). The fourth primary character is the bookshop itself and all the phantasmagorical wonders therein.

Ms. Wood has deftly written a delightful and magical story. Her settings were well described and created a wonderful atmosphere. The various story lines are all drawn tidily together in the end, leaving the reader with a satisfactory conclusion. If bookish romance with a touch of fantasy delights you, then this may well be a book for you.

Publication Date: 11/07/2023
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0008609214
No. of pages: 448 show less

Plot: 4⭐️
Audio Narration: 5⭐️

“In a place called lost, strange things are found.”

1921, London:
Twenty-one-year-old Opaline Carlisle chooses to leave for France to escape being forced into an arranged marriage by her dominating older brother. Her love for reading, a passion she shared with her late father, and her subsequent association with Sylvia Beach of "Shakespeare and Company" fame, where she takes up a job, fuels her interest in antiquarian books and manuscripts - a journey, that after a sequence of events, eventually has her opening a bookshop in Dublin all the while searching for an elusive manuscript.

Present Day:
Martha Winter, a young woman running from an abusive marriage, finds her way to Dublin in the employ of show more the eccentric Madame Bowden as her live-in housekeeper. Martha is not much of a reader, and in fact, has an eversion of sorts to books. When books start appearing in the walls of the small basement of Madam Bowden’s residence where Martha now lives, will this inspire her to overcome her fears and look at life from a fresh perspective?
Henry Field, a Ph.D. scholar in search of a rare manuscript that is referenced in an old letter he found in the course of his research, is searching for an old bookshop in Dublin but when he reaches the premises the bookshop is not there, or is it?

With superb characterizations (even the unlikable ones) and an almost perfect balance of history, romance, mystery, fantasy and magical realism, Evie Woods seamlessly weaves past and present threads into an enchanting tale about self-discovery, family, courage and the magical, transformative power of books. The narrative is presented in the first person narrative perspectives of Opaline, Henry and Martha in alternating chapters. I loved the literary references (from the classics to contemporary fiction), insight into the antiquarian book trade and auctions and the literary figures who feature in the cast of characters. Interspersed among the magic and mystery, the author touches upon several serious themes including abuse, exploitation and fraud and how historically “troublesome women with inconvenient ideas” were treated. I did feel, however, that the ending was a tad rushed and there were a few aspects of the story that could have been explored further but overall, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods is a beautiful story that will strike a chord in your heart.

I paired my reading with the audio narration which truly enhanced my experience with this book. Avena Mansergh-Wallace, Olivia Mace, and Nick Biadon do a brilliant job of voicing the characters, setting the atmosphere and bringing the story to life, making for a memorable immersion reading experience.

Finally, that cover is beautiful!

" The thing about books, she said, is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of."

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for the eARC and AlC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. show less