The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

by Katarina Bivald

published by Sourcebooks Landmark – Paperback

2016

I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in return for an honest opinion.

Thoughts

When a book is compared to another book that I loved, I am usually a sucker and jump right for it.  The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend has been compared to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is one of my favorites- so of course I jumped at the chance to read it.  I am so happy I did.  I loved the story of how a stranger comes to a broken little town and breathes new life into it.  Sara has lost her job in Sweden and is unsure of what to do with her life.  She decides to visit her pen pal Amy, who lives in Broken Wheel, Iowa, a town that has seen better days.  Amy and Sara have been exchanging letters and books for a while and Amy encourages Sara to visit.  Shen Sara arrives, it is just in time for the end of Amy’s funeral.  The town people insist that she stay in Amy’s house- that that was what Amy wanted.

I loved Sara and all the people of Broken Wheel.  What a fun and quirky group this turns out to be- even the judgy church lady turns out awesome!  My favorite is Sara- who teaches people how different books have different smells.  Sara reminds me slightly of A.J. Fikry (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry)  and Monsieur Perdu from The Little Paris Bookshop– two characters that love books so much- maybe more than they love most people.  These are characters I relate to.

If you enjoy books about people who love books, or sell books, or have lots of books and know exactly which one is perfect for someone- you will love this book.

Summary

Once you let a book into your life, the most unexpected things can happen…
Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds that Amy’s funeral has just ended. Luckily, the townspeople are happy to look after their bewildered tourist—even if they don’t understand her peculiar need for books. Marooned in a farm town that’s almost beyond repair, Sara starts a bookstore in honor of her friend’s memory. All she wants is to share the books she loves with the citizens of Broken Wheel and to convince them that reading is one of the great joys of life. But she makes some unconventional choices that could force a lot of secrets into the open and change things for everyone in town. Reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, this is a warm, witty book about friendship, stories, and love.