Introduction

You don't choose the book. The book chooses you… Long ago, a bookshop was born – the beating heart of all those who find hope within the pages of a book. With the words penned upon the echo of old forests, new worlds are created.

It’s ready and waiting to welcome all those who know where to find it…

Strangers Jo, Adelaide and Kye are the least likely people to find themselves across the threshold of a bookshop.

But as their midnight book club shows them that a single book can change everything, all three realise that their own stories can be rewritten.

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Excerpt

Chapter Five

Jo

Jo’s heart is racing as she carefully negotiates the sink, her hairy boots narrowly avoiding sending a plate and cup flying from the drainer. Not the best footwear for shop-breaking, but then she didn’t set out to do such a terrible thing this evening, did she? A fleeting thought reminds her it’s not too late to do the right thing and she doesn’t have to carry on with her madcap idea, but Jo finds she can’t help herself. The truth is, she doesn’t want to do the right thing. There’s something undefinable pulling her forward, compelling her to tiptoe her way (not easy in Chewbacca boots), with the help of her phone’s torch, through the unremarkable little kitchen towards a heavy wooden door – a door that’s ajar.

At the door Jo stops and listens, but the only sound she hears is the slow release of her breath as she tries to calm her heart rate. Peering around the door, she can just make out a short corridor leading to a staircase with a wooden handrail, and above that, a small landing-window through which pale moonlight slants in. There’s a smell in the air that Jo remembers from visiting National Trust houses. A mix of age, the faded scent of furniture polish and ancient floorboards. Holding her breath, Jo listens for a few seconds, then looks the other way along the corridor. There’s another thick wooden door, but this time it’s closed. Surely this must lead to the shop, because the place didn’t look that big from the outside. Jo walks along a threadbare rose-patterned hallway carpet and watches her fingers slide around the metal door handle. Jo hopes it won’t squeak as she slowly presses downwards. Luckily, it doesn’t make a sound and the door opens silently onto an altogether different vista.

Through a huge cathedral window below a vaulted ceiling, shafts of moonlight pour in like molten silver cascading over the lush green leaves of tall plants, some resembling trees, and everywhere around and through are bookcases and shelves alive with books of every shape, size and colour. Jo gasps in shock and surprise. This is not what she was expecting at all. Yes, it’s a bookshop, but the incredible beauty of the setting tells Jo the place was designed by someone with an obvious reverence for books and reading.

A large oval table with high-backed chairs sits in the centre of the shop and Jo walks forward and takes a seat. Looking around at every bookcase and shelf, Jo is delighted to discover that there’s a carved animal or symbol attached to the top of each. A lion rampant, an eagle, a dolphin and a phoenix, amongst others, are all bathed in moonlight and seem to be watching her – but Jo finds this enchanting, not discouraging. Which is odd because she should be discouraged, considering she’s here breaking and entering. Although to be fair, the window didn’t put up much of a fight.

A visceral feeling of peace and belonging suddenly overwhelms Jo, and a tide of emotion swells in her chest. She can’t ever remember feeling as if she really belonged anywhere. Not properly. She is absolutely certain that this place, right here and now, is where she needs to be. She relaxes into the chair with a broad smile on her face and takes her time committing to memory the entire surroundings. Then, after a while, the moonlight dims as a dark cloud cuts it in half, and a vague notion floats across her mind that perhaps she should get what she came for and go. Though she’s not entirely sure what that is. A dark thought pulls her down to earth. She does know, actually. She broke into the shop for the thrill of it, because she was recklessly fuelled by alcohol … and in the end, to steal something. Books.

Jo stands up as shame rises alongside nausea in her chest. How could she even consider such a thing? Books are about ideas, other worlds, other lives, stories, passion, beauty, inspiration. Stealing those, depriving others of discovering them is unthinkable. If Jo were to do such a thing, she knows she’d never forgive herself and be forever sullied and demeaned.

The dark cloud shifts and the moonlight turns the bookshop day bright. For the first time Jo notices a small counter at the front of the shop by the door and a long sash-window behind it looking onto the street where she stood earlier, having found the shop at last. There’s a blind pulled halfway down the window, and Jo moves towards the counter keeping to the shadows to avoid been seen by passers-by. Not that there would be any at this late hour, she imagines. Peering over the counter, she sees a modern till and a little pile of books with a yellow Post-it note stuck on top, the word ‘reserved’ written across it in black Sharpie. Carefully moving the pile around to face her, she reads the title of the first.

The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Jo has always meant to read this book, but has never got round to it. She has no idea what it is about, just that it is one of the classics on her ‘to read at some point’ pile. Maybe she could buy this copy? It has a very striking cover – a flat, dark blue, apart from a faceless woman’s eyes and lips, hovering above what appears to be a partial skyscraper hung with diamonds. Even though it has a reserved sticker, maybe if she comes back tomorrow, the owner might have another copy – or if not, could order one in. Deciding that is the best plan, Jo puts the book back on the pile and tiptoes back to the door to the hallway. Taking one last look over her shoulder at the bookshop, she sneaks through the door and quickly covers the few paces to the kitchen.

One foot in the kitchen, she suddenly freezes at the sound of light footsteps on the stairs and a waft of heady perfume cutting through the musty air. Panic shoots through her and she knows she won’t have time to make good her escape before whoever it is comes to the kitchen. Jo assumes that’s where the person is headed, but prays she’s wrong. She flies into the kitchen and hides behind the door, careful to leave it ajar, as that’s how it was when she went through it. The hall light flicks on, and Jo holds her breath and peeps through the gap along the hinges. She’s just in time to see a flash of red and black silk, a kimono perhaps, and the back of a tall woman with a swish of straight, black hair, styled in an angular bob. Thank God. She’s gone past, presumably through to the bookshop.

Time seems to stretch, as in her panic Jo’s trembling fingers struggle to find the phone torch again. Then as quietly as she’s able, she sneaks to the window and climbs up onto the drainer by the sink. She realises there’s no time to worry about knocking anything over now – the main thing is to get out and away. Heart in her mouth, Jo prays the window opens as easily on exit as it did upon entry, and thankfully it does. Once more in the tiny little yard, she can’t decide if the chill night air is making her shiver, or if it’s coming from within as the shock at what she’s just done rockets through her frame. Lowering the sash-window to a soft close, she turns and races down the passageway, out into the cobbled street. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

From the publisher:

1. Which of the three main characters – Jo, Kye, and Adelaide—do you most resonate with, and why?

2. How does the Midnight Bookshop function as more than just a physical space for the characters? What does it symbolize in their individual journeys?

3. Jo, Kye, and Adelaide each confront major personal challenges. How do their interactions with the bookshop and with each other help them address these struggles?

4. What is the significance of the books chosen by the characters? How do these sel
ections reflect their inner conflicts and aspirations?

5. The theme of second chances appears throughout the story. How does the author explore the idea of rewriting one's life, and do you think the characters truly achieve a fresh start?

6. Fay is both a mentor and a catalyst for change. How does her enigmatic presence shape the characters' growth, and what do you think her ultimate purpose is within the narrative?

7. The story blends elements of realism with fantasy, especially through the magical qualities of the bookshop. Do you feel this blend enhances or distracts from the themes of personal growth and healing?

8. Friendship plays a crucial role in the characters’ transformations. How do the dynamics between Jo, Kye, and Adelaide evolve over the course of the novel, and what do they teach each other?

9. The concept of imagination shaping reality is a recurring motif. Do you think the author successfully conveys this idea? How do the magical elements of the story support this theme?

10. Though Adelaide's arc focuses on leaving an abusive relationship, the story also explores broader issues of control and identity. What parallels can you draw between her circumstances and the struggles of the other characters?

11. The silver dragon is a recurring symbol in the narrative. What do you believe it represents for the characters, and how does it tie into the broader themes of healing and hope?

12. The Midnight Bookshop's ability to appear and disappear raises questions about its magical nature. What do you think the bookshop's vanishing act signifies in terms of the characters’ independence and their ability to move forward on their own?

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