“A lovely, affecting paean to the power of books and enduring love.”—People
A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.
Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…
When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago....
When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.
A tender story for book lovers
"This is a book for book lovers. The Gist: Knowing he won't be around long enough to grow old with his wife, Tilly, Joe leaves her one last gift - a book each month for a year - to help her deal with her grief. At first Tilly is hesitant about this gift and the idea of returning each month to the small bookshop where she's to pick up her gifts. But as the months pass, she reconnects with her love of reading and begins to heal and hope for more adventures to come. This book was emotional for many readers. I found it heartwarming and appreciated how (with a light hand) it dealt with the topic of grief. But no tears were shed by this reader. It had all the fixin's for an ugly cry kind of read, but I think the use of the third person to tell the story took me outside of the heads and hearts of main characters, so a sweet and tender read is what I got. Narration: I listened to this digital audiobook and Zadeiah Campbell-Davies did a great job narrating. Filled with many bookish references, book shop talk and fellow book lovers, this is a sweet and simply told story that is satisfyingly predictable as it tackles themes of grief, embracing new experiences and the reminder that we can find comfort in our connection to books. You'll also come away with more books for your TBR!"
