The Bookshop at Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry

Paperback, 352 pages

Expected publication: July 11th 2017 by Berkley Books

The women who spent their childhood summers in a small southern town discover it harbors secrets as lush as the marshes that surround it...

Bonny Blankenship's most treasured memories are of idyllic summers spent in Watersend, South Carolina, with her best friend, Lainey McKay. Amid the sand dunes and oak trees draped with Spanish moss, they swam and wished for happy-ever-afters, then escaped to the local bookshop to read and whisper in the glorious cool silence. Until the night that changed everything, the night that Lainey's mother disappeared.

Now, in her early fifties, Bonny is desperate to clear her head after a tragic mistake threatens her career as an emergency room doctor, and her marriage crumbles around her. With her troubled teenage daughter, Piper, in tow, she goes back to the beloved river house, where she is soon joined by Lainey and her two young children. During lazy summer days and magical nights, they reunite with bookshop owner Mimi, who is tangled with the past and its mysteries. As the three women cling to a fragile peace, buried secrets and long ago loves return like the tide.


My Thoughts…

The Bookshop at Water’s End is the perfect summer read.    It is not heavy but it is not all fluff either.     This is a story of two mother’s coming back together in a place that holds so many memories of their childhood.    They bring their own children with them and work towards solving past mysteries, finding their own futures, and making new memories.  

My favorite storyline was Bonny’s marriage or dissolving of her marriage.    Even when her career was in limbo and her life was in shambles she kept strong and found herself.    She kept her self worth and stayed on the path that she knew was right for her.    Bonny didn’t let her husband sway her nor did she let Owen, the man she has loved her entire life, change her mind.     While a divorce is not an easy thing for anyone, this storyline was more about Bonny’s strength in making herself better, her life better, and living a life she will be happy in.   

The character of Piper, Bonny’s college age daughter, was perfect.   I have a college student as a daughter and Piper reminds me of her in so many ways.  The fact that she was whisked away from her home to a place that she had only heard about to take care of two younger children sounded like the worst summer ever for her yet it turned out to be exactly what she needed to get her life back on track.    There were so many lessons that she learned, some she may not have realized yet.  

Lainey, the other Summer Sister, brings her two young children with her this summer.    Their story was the disappearance of Lainey’s mother the last time she was at this summer getaway.   The mystery was interesting and I am glad that Lainey was able to come back and find closure on a part of her life that haunted her for so long.   

I recommend picking up your own copy and enjoying these amazing characters.

Thank you Fareeda Bullert at Berkley Publishing Group | Penguin Random House and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

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