Review: The Bookshop on the Shore

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Single mum Zoe is struggling to bring up her son Hari in a tiny bedsit in Wembley so when an opportunity arises to relocate to Loch Ness, Scotland and act as au-pair to three children whilst also running a mobile bookshop she jumps at the opportunity, envisaging herself as a modern Mary Poppins reading books to rosy cheeked cherubs. The reality is somewhat different, the bookshop's customers rely heavily on the bookshop's owner Nina to know the books they want/need and Zoe is floundering. The children Zoe is supposed to look after are by turns rude, insulting and appear to exist entirely on toast and marmalade, the housekeeper is surly and unhelpful and the children's father is remote and takes little interest in his children's lives.

This reminds me of a book I've read before but I can't remember the name, it's also a bit like the plot of that Sophia Loren film Houseboat. The children have run off six previous au-pairs, in fact the youngest, Patrick, says he's going to call her Nanny Seven because she won't be there long enough for him to learn her name. Nine year old Mary is just plain rude and the oldest, Shackleton, is twelve but huge and seems to do nothing but eat. The children fight constantly, verbally and physically, the kitchen is antiquated and the house looks like Mrs Danvers will come round the corner any second.

This was utterly charming, you can't go wrong with surly children, small towns and books! I loved Zoe, such a capable character and good mother, the children were each individually great characters and I enjoyed the plot.

Recommended holiday reading.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.


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