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The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson is part
mystery and part drama involving family dynamics. It is a
shout out to those who love books and bookstores since the
main mystery is centered around both, and comes about with
riddles from book quotes. Clues to the scavengers’ hunt
are found in the classics of the past, The Tempest, Jane
Eyre, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Frankenstein,
Fear of Flying, Persuasion, The Grapes of Wrath, and
Bridge to Terabithia.
The story begins with Miranda Brooks’ twelfth birthday
party. Her beloved Uncle Billy is a no-show and to make matters
worse that night she overhears a fight between him and her
mother. She sees Billy only once more and then he cuts himself
off from her life. Similar to someone who has lost a loved
one she experiences grief, loss. and anger. He left her with
no explanation. Fast-forward sixteen years later where Miranda
attempts to make a life for herself in Philadelphia teaching
history in a middle school.
She finds out Billy has died and the fond memories of their
times together swept over her. He took her to his Los Angeles
bookstore Prospero Books, where they would read, solve riddles,
and have elaborate scavenger hunts full of surprises. After
the funeral, Miranda learns she inherited the financially
challenged bookstore and Billy has left her one more scavenger
hunt: a quest to provide answers about the mysterious family’s
rift that no one wants to speak about.
Myerson explains, “My bookstore visually looks a lot
like one in Echo Park. I borrowed a lot physically from it,
but not any of the actual character struggles. I also spoke
with some managers of bookstores that helped me to understand
how they work. Silverlake, the community in Echo Park, has
changed a lot. I wanted to make Prospero Books an earlier
relic of the neighborhood that is disappearing.”
Furthermore, “I love books about books. I wanted to
set a story in a bookstore. The reason for the bookstores’
name, “Prospero Books,” is because “The
Tempest” has a scene where he gains magical powers through
books. Also, Billy would take Miranda there as a way to connect
with her. Since it was originally his late wife’s he
thought Miranda might also connect to her. I think it was
a way for Billy to share his late wife, Evelyn, with Miranda
and keep the memory of her alive. I think he tried to explain
his life to Miranda through the books in his bookstore and
not directly as in a letter. Scavenger hunts were a way Billy
communicated. It enabled him to explain his emotions and through
the riddles, he was able to talk to Miranda.”
Early on many readers will realize the big family secret.
Yet, they will turn the pages to take the journey of the scavenger
hunt with Miranda to find out find out how the past family
secrets would be revealed. A scene from the book would forewarn
readers that the quest is more important than the mystery:
“he left her clues meant to impart wisdom and knowledge
as well as lead to the reward: Even though I always figured
out where the quest was going before we got there, he refused
to let me rush through the lesson.”
“I wrote how Suze, Miranda’s mother, realized
holding back secrets makes it progressively more difficult,
to tell the truth. I wrote in this book quote, ‘It’s
difficult seeing parents for who they are, rather than who
we want them to be.’ I wanted to explore the way we
can and cannot know our parents. I know I feel this way and
I think others do as well. It is hard to fully understand
who they were before they became parents. We only know what
they chose to tell us and how they chose to tell us.”
This heartfelt debut novel explores loss, healing, and family
with all the tensions, misunderstandings, and estrangements
that are sometimes part of it. Books and the bookstore are
an added bonus allowing readers to understand the importance
of forgiveness.
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