Reviews

After reading Sharon Gosling’s new book, The Lighthouse Bookshop, she has jumped firmly onto my favourite authors list and I know she will stay there for a very long time. I got such a buzz from reading this marvellous heart-warming and life affirming story. I can’t believe this is only the author's second book in this genre as it reads as if she has being writing women’s fiction for years and years so perfectly developed and executed was every aspect of this book. I haven’t read her previous book, The House Beneath the Cliffs, but I will certainly have to rectify that because if it is anything like this brilliant read then I know I am in for a real treat. I’m a sucker for any book that has bookshop in the title and the fact it was a lighthouse made me even more intrigued to discover what awaited me between the pages of a book that has such a stunning cover.

The bookshop in question isn’t actually based in a lighthouse but more of a tower and it is far away from the sea situated in the rural Scottish village of Newton Dunbar. Some would say oh therefore isn’t the title a bit misleading but it’s not at all and the further you delve into the book you’ll uncover why the word lighthouse is so important and this is also where the historical element of the story comes into play. This could have been your usual run of the mill story about a bookshop and its customers of which I have read so many and don’t get me wrong I love books like this but sometimes the story feels as if it has been told time and time again but here Sharon Gosling has added her own unique take on everything and this is what sets The Lighthouse Bookshop apart from all the stories currently out there that are set in bookshops.

There are quite a number of characters to familiarise yourself with but I didn’t find this difficult at all because no character is glossed over with just fleeting attention paid to them every few chapters or so. Instead each character is allowed to share their story although a lot is kept hidden and revealed at just the ideal moment. It never felt like the book was overloaded with characters and therefore each individual wasn’t allowed to shine. In fact, it was the complete opposite but I will say the story was setting itself up nicely in the first few chapters and then Sharon had to go and break my heart when bookshop/tower owner Cullen MacDonald suddenly passes away. This broke my heart as even from a couple of pages I was engrossed and wanted to read more about him. I thought oh how can I read on but this was only the beginning of what developed into a memorable journey that will stay with me for a long time.

Rachel arrived out of the blue to the village over five years ago and has been very secretive about her past. Thanks to Cullen the tower above the second hand bookshop has been her home and refuge. She is calm, collected and unflappable but deep down there is a sense of nervousness and tension about her, that she can never really let go and be herself. As she can be quite reserved no one can fully read her nor have they any idea of her past and the reason why she is the way she is.

The bookshop is a focal point for the village. It has its own little community where people come and go. Rachel, despite her own issues, has a lovely manner about her in that she helps people whenever she can but when Cullen dies her life is thrown into disarray as it’s not quite clear who should inherit the tower and she doesn’t know if her job will be gone. When Rachel finds design plans for the tower a story from the past is unleashed and she is in a race against time to discover the truth of its origin in the hopes that business woman Dora McCreedy won’t get her hands on the land and do the unthinkable and destroy the bookshop which means so much to so many. Dora was an awful character and the baddy throughout. She was horrible to most of the characters and always seemed to have money and expanding her empire on her mind.

Toby Hollingwood has spent his life as a journalist reporting on important stories around the world but now he has come to Newton Dunbar to find some peace and solitude in order to write his own life story. But he has drawn a blank, not knowing where to start and the words are failing to flow onto the page. Toby is haunted by past experiences which may be the key to why he is suffering writer’s block but as he uses the bookshop as a place for inspiration to try and start the words to flow he forms friendships with Rachel and those that frequent the shop. By helping these people with their own issues in small ways maybe in turn he will start to help himself. As he aids Rachel in discovering the history of the tower and uncovering an interesting yet heart-breaking story the pair are drawn closer. But with Rachel being such an enigma and deflecting attention from herself can they each get to know the real person beneath the facades they portray to the world. The historical element of the story that Rachel becomes involved in was fascinating to read about and added such an air of mystery to the story as a whole. It was just one of a number of subplots that flowed aptly from the main strand of the story and I loved the twists and turns that ensued right until the end.

Edie Strang is an artist and lives next door to Ezra Jones. The pair have a feud ongoing for years and Edie can’t stand the sight of Ezra. I hated the way Edie treated him as Ezra came across as having a heart of gold. Edie too was hiding things, she had a fake toughness about her that surely couldn’t last. The reader could guess some of it but towards the end it was a lovely surprise when her story came full circle. Perhaps one of the most important characters alongside Rachel was Gilly. She is a teenager sleeping rough in the village having run away from many foster homes. She was guarded, defensive and rough around the edges not wanting to except help from anyone but Rachel sees a kindred soul in her and hopes the bookshop and its associated friends and customers will work its magic on her. Gilly’s storyline raised a lot of important issues and was also a classic case of the younger generation helping the older. I enjoyed seeing the development of her character and how her storyline melded together so well with everything else that was going on in the book. All these interesting and quirky characters helped in telling this story of giving people second chances and allowed for a community of acceptance and togetherness to develop in the most incredible of ways.

Once you finish The Lighthouse Bookshop you’ll want to go back immediately and read it all over again and believe me it’s very rare that I say that about a book but that just goes to show how good this wonderful read is. I couldn’t find one fault with any aspect of the story. The setting, the varied cast of characters, the themes and messages and the historical element were all just perfect and all the different elements of the story were woven together so well. It was all told so effortlessly but you could see the thought, care and attention that went into every detail and all the subplots. I was gutted when I reached the final page as you become so invested in each of the individual characters stories and you just want to keep reading more and more.

I feel there is definitely room for a sequel and whether that will be the next book the author writes or future books down the line I know I will read anything she publishes this really was a book which deeply reminded me just how much I love reading. This is one of those books that when you finish reading it you look up and realise, oh I am back in the real world and no longer inhabit the books world which is such a pity as I could have stayed reading about Rachel and co for many more hours. The Lighthouse Bookshop deserves to be consumed in one go and it should come with a warning that you will not get any work done whilst you read it. Come the end of the year when I cast my eye back over my favourite reads of the year this will be up there high on my list and it deserves all the praise in the world. It’s an absolute triumph from beginning to end.