this was not at all what i expected or thought it would be. 

it’s a book following different women in different times and horrendous men in their lives and the love for books. 

i was told this is a cozy read - it’s not. 

it has a love for books and stories and a great respect for strong female characters BUT cozy it is not. 

it handles some tough topics that should be looked up if you have some triggers for example <spoilers> forced institutionalization, forced adoption (when the child is tanken from the mother without consent from the mother), abuse both verbally and physically, some stalking or that’s what i would call it anyways, accidental murder snd coving that up, name calling of all kinds of things… and a lot more so if any of that sounds triggering? look it up.  

i personally find it a bit stupid to put things there could trigger people into a spoiler box but this story does build a bit up on those hard hitting moments and follows one after the other in a „oh come on it gets worse for that person?“ kind of way.
so i guess in this book it’s actually a bit spoilery which is why i used lt. 


this book also has magical realism in it that i did not see coming and honestly wish someone would have mentioned to me beforehand but i guess that was where the „cozy“ talk about this book came from? 


this all might sound as if this book wasn’t to my liking - clearly the rating suggests i did like it. 


it was just not at all what went into the book expecting it to be in both positive and negative ways. 


i did really like reading about those strong women doing what they need to have a life they want to live and trying to find their place and happiness almost against all odds. 

i also love drive book elements of this story and kind of wish the kind of bookshop of this book would exist because how cool would that be. 


i wasn’t prepared for the men in this story and while i wouldn’t call it a trigger for me i prefer reading books that are not with or about  abusive men - it’s realistic and horrifyingly real with how it it’s shown in this book and how little others around the abused do to help even in todays time and how much power men still have in situations is frightening - and was even more frightening 40-80 years ago (i think in some countries even longer of not still today) and while it was horrible to read about it was realistic and real and well written. 
but as i said not my personal favorite - readers preferences and all.


all in all this book is worth the read and the type of story that isn’t easily forgotten simply because of the characters but also just because how the story is told and how it drags the reader in and grips you almaty too tightly and makes specific sections and phrases unforgettable. 

so if you look into something that might be a bit of a harder hitter but is incredibly well written and has fantastic female characters and gives you rage against most men and a good dose of book love? go for it. 


if you want a cozy little story about a bookshop told through different time lines and just paddled along and gives you a nice quiet time? this is not that.