The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

by Katarina Bivald | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 149262344X Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 10/13/2017
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Friday, October 13, 2017
I got this softcover at the Book Cellar. It's the selection for the November book-group there.

Later: The story's unusual in that it's mostly set in a very small - and on the point of dying - town in Iowa, while the author is Swedish! Her main character seems to be something of an author-avatar, a young Swedish woman whose correspondence with a woman from Broken Wheel, Iowa leads her to plan a lengthy visit. But when she arrives she gets shocking news about her friend Amy and must decide what to do next... (Amy's letters were among my favorite parts of the book, and which are presented in between the chapters of Sara's narrative, filling in the histories of some of the characters Sara - and we - have just met.)

The story's inspired by 84, Charing Cross Road and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - the author admits as much in her notes, and the character Sara refers to them as well. While I liked both of those better than this one, "Broken Wheel" has plenty of charming scenes for book-lovers - such as the time when Sara, caught up in a book, sat near the window reading for hours, while the townsfolk gradually assembled to place bets on how long she'd sit there without noticing them. I get lost in books too, though I *think* I'd notice a crowd forming at my window!

There's also the way she sets up the not-really-a-business bookshop in town, with her own categories, from "SEX, GUNS and VIOLENCE" to "UNHAPPY ENDINGS" to "HAPPY ENDINGS WHEN YOU NEED THEM". And I was happy to see the many books and authors that were recommended, shared, and discussed among the characters - not least being Sara's fondness for Terry Pratchett!

The story has some elements that didn't ring true to me, and I did get a bit weary of the "will they marry to get a visa even though they're really in love but haven't realized it yet" subplot, but overall it's a nice addition to the books-for-book-lovers shelves.

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at LFL - Broad St. #20 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Released 6 yrs ago (11/16/2017 UTC) at LFL - Broad St. #20 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2017 The The release challenge. ***

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