The Little Paris Bookshop

Narrator Steve West carries listeners along on a literary adventure down France's rivers, from Paris to Provence. After reading a decades-old letter from a former love, Jean Perdu untethers his bookstore barge and leaves the City of Lights for the south, accompanied by two equally impulsive friends. Although the men are initially focused on their pasts, their journey soon becomes one of new horizons and second chances. West wisely reserves his French accent for the dialogue, immersing listeners in the setting without overwhelming them. His quiet, gentle performance fits the mood of this charming, contemplative story, which is perfect for book lovers. Although the majority of the audiobook is read by West, Emma Bering and Cassandra Campbell have small parts that enhance the listening experience. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

October 26, 2015
Jean Perdu runs a book shop located a barge moored on the Seine in Paris. When a broken heart shakes Perdu from his moorings, he embarks on a journey down France’s storied waterways accompanied by Max Jordan, his neighbor and a young author whose early success has paralyzed his creativity. Voice actor West beautifully demonstrates Perdu’s evolution over the course of the novel, from an aloof loner to a reluctant father figure, while also providing the voice of Max, his pitch rising at the end of nearly
every sentence like it’s a question, then growing in confidence, and a little bit
of mischief, as Max rediscovers his muse. The other two performances are less successful, not because actresses Bering and Campbell aren’t excellent (Bering in particular has a perfect French accent), but because the novel itself gives them so little time compared to Perdu. A Crown hardcover.

April 27, 2015
A bookseller embarks on a quest for his own happy ending in George’s novel. Jean Perdu’s Literary Apothecary is unique among Paris bookshops, and not just because it’s a barge moored on the Seine. Perdu has the uncanny ability to prescribe the perfect book to cure any spiritual malady: heartbreak, loneliness, ennui. But for 21 years—ever since the woman he loved walked out of his life—Perdu has lived an ascetic, routine-filled existence, and he’s never opened the farewell letter she left for him. When he’s finally compelled to read it, the unexpected contents spur him to hoist his anchor and take the bookstore barge on a trip upriver to Avignon, in search of closure and forgiveness. Max Jordan, an eccentric young author paralyzed by writer’s block, hitches a ride as the boat is pulling out of port. Along the way the pair encounters a host of other quirky characters, who feed Perdu incredible cuisine, help unravel a long-unsolved literary mystery, and teach him to feel joy again. Though George’s prose is sometimes a bit overwrought and the “physician, heal thyself” plot device has been done to death, her cast of engaging characters keeps the story moving. Her sumptuous descriptions of both food and literature will leave readers unsure whether to run to the nearest library or the nearest bistro. Agent: Cecile Barendsma, Janklow & Nesbit Associates.