The Bookshop of Yesterdays

March 26, 2018
In her heartfelt debut, Meyerson brings readers on a scavenger hunt full of literary clues and family secrets. Miranda Brooks feels her life is finally coming together—she adores teaching high school history in Philadelphia and has decided to settle there, taking the big step of moving in with her boyfriend, a fellow teacher. But Miranda’s cozy life is thrown into tumult when she receives a mysterious package after the sudden death of her estranged uncle Billy, who she hasn’t spoken to since a falling-out between him and her mother years before. Once a huge part of her life, Billy used to invite Miranda to his Los Angeles bookshop, Prospero Books, where they would read and solve riddles he thought up. But, on Miranda’s 12th birthday, her mother and Billy had a mysterious fight, and Miranda hasn’t heard from him since. After his death, Miranda travels to L.A., where she learns that Billy has left her Prospero Books—along with a literary clue to one final adventure he wanted to share with her. She works with the devoted staff to revive the old store, all the while following Billy’s clues, which lead her to hidden family secrets. Filled with quotes from and allusions to The Tempest, The Wizard of Oz, and Jane Eyre, Meyerson’s evocative novel is a fun homage to book lovers and the eclectic spirit of L.A.

Ann Marie Gideon narrates this story of long-buried family secrets coming to light through a series of clues in a scavenger hunt. When Miranda's long-estranged Uncle Billy leaves her Prospero Bookshop in his will, she returns to California, embarking on a journey to uncover the reason for her uncle's estrangement. Gideon gives Miranda, the story's first-person narrator, a believable voice--impatient sounding with her mother as she tries to get her to explain the estrangement and friendly with new connections opened by the hunt. Voices for the other characters are made unique through tempo and tone. Susie, the mother, also has impatience in her voice, an emotion that complicates Miranda's search for answers. Although the family secret is pretty obvious early on, the hunt, with its many literary references, is entertaining. N.E.M. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

May 1, 2018

Sixteen years after she last saw her Uncle Billy, Miranda Brooks learns that he has passed away and she has inherited his Los Angeles-based store, Prospero Books. Named for Prospero's daughter in The Tempest, a theme recurrent throughout the novel, Miranda follows clues she believes her uncle sent her to unravel the story of his past. The path leads her to people who fill in the holes she didn't know she had in her own story. At first, Miranda's parents are thrilled that she has returned home, but soon her mother is not talking and a wedge is driven between them. With her personal life in shambles and the bookstore in financial straits, Miranda moves into Billy's apartment above the shop and sets out on a quest of self-discovery, taking a chance on revitalizing the store and discovering love where she least expects it. VERDICT Meyerson's debut is a sweet read filled with family, love, and healing. Readers who enjoy Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber will be charmed by this tale of self-discovery and new beginnings.--Jane Blue, Andrews P.L., NC

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
A woman inherits her late uncle's struggling bookstore in Meyerson's debut novel.Miranda once idolized her uncle Billy--he was charming, adventurous, and always let her pick out any book she wanted from his store, Prospero Books. He planned elaborate scavenger hunts and was full of surprises. But on the night of her 12th birthday, Billy and her mother have an explosive fight. Miranda doesn't know what happened between them, but she loses touch with Billy--until years later, when she's a teacher in Philadelphia. Billy is dead, but he left her his bookstore--and a mysterious book and letter. Determined to figure out what's going on, Miranda returns to Los Angeles and embarks on her final scavenger hunt, following clues that introduce her to books and people from Billy's past. No one will tell her why Billy disappeared from her life--not her mother, her father, or the employees at Prospero Books--so the scavenger hunt is her only hope to figure out what happened. Miranda quickly finds out that Billy wasn't just the fun-loving uncle she remembers--his life was also full of tragedy. As Miranda learns about his history, she must also juggle trying to save Prospero Books and deciding what she wants out of her life. Should she return to teaching and her boyfriend in Philadelphia, or would she rather stay with her family and her bookstore in LA? Miranda's quest to learn more about her uncle leads to some surprises and plenty of references to literature, with clues hidden in classics like Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, and Bridge to Terabithia. Meyerson writes beautifully, with lush descriptions of LA and believable interactions between characters. Prospero Books is warm, inviting, and populated with lovably quirky employees readers will want to get to know.A lovely look at loss, family, and the comfort found in a good bookstore.

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