Introduction

The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

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Excerpt

Chapter Seven
Opaline
Paris, 1921
I started early the next day, enquiring about jobs wherever I saw a sign that read offres d�¢??emploi. It rapidly became clear that no one wanted to hire a young English woman with no skills to speak of, broken French and no experience of commerce. The naivety of my plan, or rather the lack of it, filled me with panic. I wandered the streets aimlessly, blindly hoping for a sign. I let myself be swept along by people who knew where they were going and crossed the Seine on the glorious Pont Neuf. I raised my eyes to the spires of the Notre Dame cathedral, thinking of Esmerelda and Victor Hugo. I reached inside my satchel and rested my hand on the Baudelaire. Even feeling the book under my fingertips calmed me. I couldn�¢??t explain it, not even to myself, but books gave me an unflinching sense of stability and groundedness. That because words survived, somehow I would too. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

From the publisher:

1. Opaline’s love of books is what guides her through life, like talismans and passports of escape. As a reader, what do books mean to you? How have books impacted your life?

2. Were there any significant plot twists that surprised you?

3. Did the book provoke any emotional responses from you? Which scenes stood out in terms of their impact?

4. What did you make of the magical elements in the book? Did they add to your experience of the bookshop?

5. The plot highlights the impact of living in a patriarchal society in both timelines. What is your assessment of the male characters in the book and how their storylines developed?

6. Were there any lines or passages that stood out to you or that you highlighted?

7. Did the different settings make you eager to visit the locations mentioned in the book?

8. What was your impression of Saint Agnes’s and Opaline’s experience there? Have you read/seen anything on the topic of asylums before?

9. Magical feminism is one of the genres explored in this story, to challenge societal norms and give women agency and empowerment. How did you experience this aspect of the story?

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