THE BOOKSHOP OF YESTERDAYS

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 [Published: JULY 2018]