Linda reviews: The Bookseller at the end of the world by Ruth Shaw

The Bookseller at the end of the world by Ruth Shaw

If you are lucky, you may just get to visit a cluster three tiny bookshops tucked away in Manapouri, in a remote corner of Fiordland National Park. While you are there you will be sure to come across the owner, Ruth Shaw, whose bright and bubbly personality more than fills the cosy bookshops. You may just think these are quaint little bookshops with an owner to match.  Dig deeper with Ruth and you will hear stories of survival through some very dark times and challenges. To be where she is today is a testament to her courage, determination, and optimism. It did take some encouragement for Ruth to be persuaded to put pen to paper and share her life story. This is her first published book and is proving a big seller.

Reading this book is like listening to a favourite aunt relating stories of her life and interwoven with anecdotes of visitors to her cosy little bookshops. Who would have guessed she had been held up by pirates while sailing solo around the Pacific? Her deepest sadness is through losing one child, and having to give another up for adoption.

You can happily read The Bookseller at the end of the world in bite sized chunks, or sit down and devour it all in one sitting. Either way, it will stay with you long after you close the last page.