Little Paris Bookshop

by Nina George

What a lovely life affirming book.  It was truly uplifting.

The book starts out with a sad old Parisian man being asked to provide some furniture for a woman who has left her husband and who has nothing.  He has little left, he has discarded most possessions but opens up a room he had closed off 20+ years before after the love of his life left him.

He finds a table and chair to give to the woman but finds opening the room brings back memories he had been trying to avoid of a woman he had an affair with.

He is now the owner of a floating barge on the seine, a bookshop.  He seems to know the right kind of books to give people.

One of his neighbours is a quirky young man who recently wrote a very successful book and who seems to be hiding from his success and fans.

He visits the neighbour he gave the table to and she gives him a letter, an unopened letter that she found in the table.  It is from the man's lover.  He received it 20 years ago but never had the courage to open it.  He has been living in grief and despair since she left him.

He is reluctant to open it but when he does he is devastated to find that his lover's letter tells him she is dying and asking him to come to see her before he dies.  Now he feels worse than ever as he has failed her. 

He decides to cut his boat free and sail to where his lover lived/was engaged to another man. He also is seeking to find out a who the author is of a book he particulary liked. His young author friend leaps on board as he is leaving, losing his wallet and ID in the leap.  The men sail along the rivers of France making money by selling books or bartering books for food and other supplies.  They meet another man who is seeking a woman he met years before.

While travelling Monsier Perdu ("lost') sends postcards to his lady neighbour and eventually invites her to join him in southern France.  Both his male friends also find romantic attachments.

While the start of the book is sad the book is a touching affirmation of love and life.  I really felt energized and inspired by it.