by Rachel Joyce
First published 2018
Frank owns a vinyl record store in 1988 London. His shop overflows with albums of every size and genre. He arranges classical, jazz, and punk records not by category but by instinct. Frank knows exactly which album each customer seeks, even as his main suppliers push him to sell CDs instead. Then Ilse Brauchmann walks into his shop and transforms his life. She wears a green coat and claims no interest in music, yet she keeps returning to the store. Frank wants to run from this enigmatic woman, but he also feels drawn to her. When Ilse disappears as suddenly as she arrived, Frank faces losing both her and his beloved record shop. The story explores how unexpected connections can upend a carefully ordered life and force difficult choices between security and possibility.
Genres: fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: London
Period: 1988
320 pages · Paperback · Cargo