A moving bestseller that reminds us how stories like people, can be lost, found, and transformed
Evie Woods’ The Lost Bookshop is more than just a story. It’s a beautifully woven tapestry of lives, secrets, and the transformative power of literature. Set between multiple timelines and viewpoints, the novel gracefully blends historical fiction with a touch of magical realism, drawing readers into a world where books are more than objects. They are lifelines, hiding places, and vessels of truth.
The narrative centers around three main characters: Martha, Henry, and Opaline. Each carrying their own burdens, dreams, and mysteries. Their stories unfold across generations and geographies, but all roads lead back to a mysterious, long-lost bookshop tucked into the heart of Dublin. The way their paths converge is not only satisfying but also deeply moving.
What’s profound about this novel is how it treats memory, healing, and self-worth. Woods explores how stories. Both those we read and those we tell ourselves, can give us the courage to reclaim lost parts of who we are. It’s a celebration of books as repositories of personal and collective memory, and of bookshops as sacred spaces where lives intersect and fates quietly shift.
It’s no surprise this became a Sunday Times bestseller. It offers readers an emotional yet uplifting escape, with the intimacy of a personal secret whispered through pages. Woods’ prose is accessible yet lyrical, making it easy to fall into the book and hard to put down. It resonates with fans of The Midnight Library and The Keeper of Lost Things. Readers who crave comfort, mystery, and the quiet magic of human connection.
‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’
