The Little Paris Bookshop

I feel like there is a multitude of books that follow along the path of Harold Fry and his pilgrimage to save an old friend instead of sending her a letter in the mail.  Now in this new book, The Little Paris Bookshop, author Nina George takes us on a journey with Monsieur Jean Perdu as he pursues his lost love.  The plot becomes not only the relationships between characters but their travel experiences also.

Monsieur Perdu is now a middle aged bookseller, who has lived the past 20 years of his life regretting the loss of a love affair he had with a beautiful young woman who was married to another man.  He has walled up the room in his apartment that they shared all those years ago, just as he has created a barrier to his heart.  He has spend the last two decades giving relationship advice to the people who come to his floating barge bookstore.  His shop is called the Literary Apothecary and is a barge that is tied up to the dock in .   Perdu bought this boat and filled it with books as a remedy for the countless undefined afflictions of the soul.  Perdu says, "I wanted to treat feelings that are recognized as afflictions and are never diagnosed by doctors."  When customers come onto his bookshop he analyzes them and recommends books for their personal symptoms, love sickness, loss, depression and other aliments.  Though he is very good at diagnosing and treating others, he continues to live with his depression, unable to be open to new love and friendship.

When Catherine moves into the apartment building Perdu lives in he finally is aware of feelings he thought long gone and well buried coming to the surface.  He realizes that he can still care about another person and once the wall is cracked, he finds himself attracted to Catherine, he is warmed when their skin touches and he could even be interested in more of a relationship after all this time.

Of course one plot line needs closure before the next story can begin.  This is a story of how misunderstandings can lead to large mistakes and loss.  Also this is a story of forgiveness and how to find closure and move forward when one relationship ends so that another relationship can begin.