The Bookshop of Yesterdays

OMG, I loved this book. I'm not really sure if it was the plot or the fact that the main character inherited her uncle's bookshop—always a secret dream of mine.

Though this isn't a typical mystery, it's mysterious just the same. And the mystery deepens as the book progresses, thank to clues provided in literary works. A bookshop and literary references? What could be better?

Not the characters. They were outstanding. From the main character who seems more than lost and for good reason. Miranda, whose name comes from Shakespeare's The Tempest, is from a family that finds it easier to hide the truth than talk. Her current boyfriend, Jay, is a nice enough guy (don't we all know those?) who is a little overly obsessed with sports, his own family, and, of course, himself. But Miranda's nice enough to overlook all his flaws because she's in her first real relationship.

The wrinkle in their relationship starts when Miranda wants to go home for Uncle Billy's funeral. What was supposed to be a 3-day trip (from Philadelphia to Los Angeles) turns into something much longer. Her path is directed by literary clues left by her dead uncle with no help from her loving parents who want to spare her the ugly truth by lying to her or not talking at all. The complexity of Miranda's search for the truth revolves around Evelyn, Uncle Billy's deceased wife and Prospero's, her bookshop, which is also named after a character in The Tempest.

Along the way, Miranda also develops a love/hate relationship with the current manager of Prospero's, named Malcolm. He's instrumental in helping her find the truth, as are an assortment of weird characters who revolve around the bookshop. Lee (the former manager), Evelyn's father, Sheila (an author and friend of Uncle Billy) as well as the other members of Prospero's staff.

I may be naïve, but I was completely caught off-guard by each new revelation that Miranda uncovered, keeping me intrigued for the whole 364 pages of this great book.