First published 2020
Natalie Harper stands amid the shelves of her mother's bookstore in San Francisco, newly hers after a shocking tragedy. The shop charms customers but bleeds money. Her grandfather Andrew owns the valuable building on historic Perdita Street, and Natalie wants to sell it to fund his move to assisted living as his health declines. Andrew refuses to let the bookstore go. Natalie moves into the tiny apartment above the shop and hires contractor Peach Gallagher for repairs the old building constantly needs. His young daughter Dorothy visits regularly, and she and Natalie read together while Peach works. As Natalie settles into this unexpected life, she uncovers artifacts hidden in the bookshop walls and learns truths about her family she never knew. The store's books comfort her grief while new relationships with the Gallaghers help her heal. Natalie must choose between the practical path she planned and the connections that are mending her broken heart.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Perdita Street, San Francisco
Period: 21st-century
384 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow