The Little Paris Bookshop

The Little Paris Bookshop: a novel by Nina George

Jean Perdu is a man of solitude. To keep from remember the heartbreak of a lost love, he blocks off not only his heart but the room in his apartment that reminds him of her. When fate intervenes and Perdu is forced to face his past he is transformed. Taking his barge, The Literary Apothecary, a young writer named Max Jordan, and his two cats, he sets sail on the rivers of France to rediscover what life is about and to heal his broken heart.  In the end he discovers that you can't keep yourself locked away forever.

For me this book was about four things: healing, food, books, and forgiveness. I loved the intermingling of books and food throughout the book that helped to set the stage. The author's idea of books as medicine was engaging and gave the reader a strong sense of Perdu. As he states in a discussion with Max, "You see, I sell books like medicine. There are books that are suitable for a million people, others only for a hundred. There are even medicines---sorry, books---that were written for only one person". (p. 27) This theme really struck home with me. As a lover of books I understood Perdu's belief that books can heal but certain books in the hands of the wrong person could also cause more damage.

The themes of forgiveness and healing are strong in this book. Perdu's need to go to find where his lost love went plays a major role in his healing process. He must come to terms with the past 21 years and his inability to move on and get past his heartbreak. You also see Max's transformation from someone who feel that he is not worthy of praise to someone who is confident and not afraid to follow his dreams.

This book was well written and in parts very deep. George did an outstanding job of relaying the heartbreak and healing in all the characters she wrote about. The descriptions of the book barge helped to give the book a solid foundation. I loved the fact that as they moved down the river more and more of the books were sold. It was as if the books represented the baggage that Perdu carried with him and in the end was finally able to walk away from it and get back to living.

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.