THE BOOK LOVER by Maryann McFadden is so beautifully
written. Being
a book lover myself, I was instantly drawn to the book just
because of the
title. THE BOOK LOVER is the story of two women who come
together in
life just by chance. Lucy is a frustrated writer who is
trying to get her novel
published. Ruth is the owner of a book store called The
Book Lover. Ruth
has agreed to allow Lucy to do a book signing in her store,
but Lucy gets
the dates wrong and shows up a week early. Embarrassed beyond
anything, Ruth asks Lucy to stay with her at her house and
the women
begin a friendship that neither of them was expecting.
They both have
suffered bad marriages and together, they teach each other
that it is okay
to forgive and move on, but not without a few secrets
unfolding as they heal one another.
Lucy hasn't really had her head on straight since her
husband was
arrested. Turns out, she doesn't really know her husband at
all. She can't
believe the things he is being charged with. He goes to
jail as Lucy feels
her life being torn apart. It is during this time that she
hears from Ruth and
agrees to the book signing. After being rejected by
publisher after
publisher, Lucy decides to self publish the book herself.
She starts to drive
up the East Coast stopping in at various book stores
introducing herself
and her book. This is how she meets Ruth.
She also meets Colin, Ruth's son who was injured in the war.
He is a
paraplegic who lives at the lake, away from town, and the
ever watchful
eyes of his sister and mother. Lucy agrees to Ruth's offer
of staying at her
lake house for a bit while she gets her head clear. The
house is right next
door to Colin's. Ruth is happy that Lucy will be close by
to keep an eye on
Colin, but this is something she just might regret.
Slowly but surely, Lucy
and Colin become friends. Now here is where things get
interesting.
I could not put THE BOOK LOVER down once I started reading.
I was
instantly drawn in to all the characters and their lives.
After a few chapters,
they felt like old friends to me. I wish we had a small
local book store here
that I could go to with an owner like Ruth who would know
exactly what
kind of book to recommend to her customers. I don't want to
give any of the
story away, but take a chance on THE BOOK LOVER. You won't
be sorry.
Ruth Hardaway has had one passion all her life: books. For
thirty years she's devoted her life to her book store,
trying to bury her painful past. But now the store is in
jeopardy, and the past is catching up with her. Lucinda
Barrett lost everything in a life-shattering betrayal.
Desperate, she goes after one last dream - to be an author.
Alone and broke, she embarks on a journey, eventually
landing on Ruth's doorstep. Ruth takes Lucy under her wing,
championing her book and even offering her refuge at a
nearby lake cabin. In return, she wants Lucy to keep an eye
on her son, Colin, who's recovering from a war injury. As
the two women grow closer and begin to face the past,
neither has any idea that their toughest decisions lie ahead
- or that their friendship is about to fall apart because of
a little white lie.