The Little Paris Bookshop - Nina George

Written by Nina George
Read by Steve West, Emma Bering, Cassandra Campbell
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Books on Tape
Release date: June 23, 2015
Duration: 10:55:26

“There are books that are suitable for a million people, others for only a hundred. There are even remedies—I mean books—that were written for one person only…A book is both medic and medicine at once. It makes a diagnosis as well as offering therapy. Putting the right novels to the appropriate ailments: that’s how I sell books.”

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can’t seem to heal through literature is himself; he’s still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.
After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a best-selling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

Note—A purchased copy has a small cookbook of French receipts. Overdrive let’s me look at it but not download.

‘Narrator Steve West carries listeners along on a literary adventure down France’s rivers, from Paris to Provence. After reading a decades-old letter from a former love, Jean Perdu untethers his bookstore barge and leaves the City of Lights for the south, accompanied by two equally impulsive friends. Although the men are initially focused on their pasts, their journey soon becomes one of new horizons and second chances. West wisely reserves his French accent for the dialogue, immersing listeners in the setting without overwhelming them. His quiet, gentle performance fits the mood of this charming, contemplative story, which is perfect for book lovers. Although the majority of the audiobook is read by West, Emma Bering and Cassandra Campbell have small parts that enhance the listening experience.”— AudioFile