DeborahMeylersfirstnovelisawitty,sharplyobservedstoryofatwentysomething Englishwoman who finds unexpected salvation in a shabby Upper West Side bookstore in New York.
Ardent and Idealistic, Esme Garland has arrived in Manhattan with a scholarship to study art history at Columbia University. When she falls in love with New York blue-blood Mitchell van Leuven, with his penchant for all things erotic, life seems to be clear sailing, until a thin blue line signals stormy times ahead. Before she has a chance to tell Mitchell about her pregnancy, he abruptly declares their sex life is as exciting as a cup of tea, and ends it all.
Stubbornly determined to master everything from Degas to diapers, Esme starts work at a small West Side bookstore to make ends meet. The Owl is a shabby all-day, all-night haven for a colorful crew of characters, such as handsome and taciturn guitar player Luke and George, the owner, who lives on spirulina shakes and idealism.
The Owl becomesanexusofgoodinadifficultworldforEsmebutwillitbeenoughtosustain her when Mitchell, glittering with charm and danger, comes back on the scene?
The Bookstore is a celebration of books, of the shops where they are sold, and of the people who work, read, and live in them. The Bookstore is also a story about emotional
discovery, the complex choices we all face, and the accidental inspirations that make a life worth the reading.
About the Author
Deborah Meyler was born in Manchester, went to Oxford, did a master's thesis on Edith Wharton at St Andrews, was sponsored by The Guardian for a journalism diploma, and
then, to the detriment of her career but not to her happiness, went to live in New York for a few years. She now lives in Cambridge with her partner and daughters.
