Growing up, Violet was so busy helping others realize their dreams, she found little time to pursue her own. But five years ago, she took the chance of a lifetime, leaving the family bookshop on Brinkley’s Island, Maine, to attend culinary school in Paris. Now she’s working her dream job as a pâtissiere in an upscale Parisian restaurant—yet all she can think about is home.
Feeling unmoored, Violet finds herself still searching for something…Connection? Maybe. She hasn’t made any real friends in the city. Inspiration? Possibly. Her desserts are lovely, but they’re definitely lacking something.
After her aunt Isabel urges her to keep on looking, Violet finally gets a taste of what she’s been missing in the café at the Museum of Romantic Life. But just as life begins to come into focus, she’s abruptly called home to Maine. Like her aunt before her, Violet soon learns that family could hold the key to discovering what she truly needs
The Bookstore Family is a heartwarming short story about family, grief, chasing your dreams, and new adventures. It’s the fourth (and likely final) book in the Amazon Original short stories called The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories. Each book is around 40 pages, making it possible to binge the entire series in a single sitting!
This short story follows Violet, who, 5 years ago, left her family bookstore to attend culinary school in Paris. Now working as a pâtissière in an upscale Parisian restaurant, Violet is still searching for connection and inspiration. She gets a taste of it at the café at the Museum of Romantic Life, but just as life begins to come into focus, she’s urgently called home to the USA to be with her sick mother.
The earlier books in the series had sisters Isabel and Sophie as main characters, but this one focuses on Sophie’s daughter Violet. The story can be read as a standalone, but it’s definitely worth the (small) effort to read all the short stories to get acquainted with the Gibson sisters and their charming family bookstore on Brinkley’s Island, Maine.
This short story will take readers through a myriad of emotions, from hope and inspiration during Violet’s self-discovery journey in Paris to moments of intense sadness when she returns to be with her sick mother. The dialogue between mother and daughter is very authentic, and anyone who has been in a similar scenario will find the scenes extremely emotional and heartfelt. The ending nicely ties up loose ends for most of the characters in the series, which is very satisfying for readers—but it’s also a strong sign that this book will be the end of this beloved series.
Violet is an introspective character who’s easy to resonate with. Despite having a settled life at the start of the story, she yearns for more, which is very relatable. The latter half of the story shows her struggle with guilt and grief and questions some of her life choices, which is very authentic and compelling. Alice Hoffman does a phenomenal job making all the characters genuine and giving them emotional depth—an amazing feat for a story that’s only 43 pages!
Overall, this short story and entire series are a must-read for anyone who loves heartwarming, family-oriented, authentic storytelling. Fans of Alice Hoffman’s full-length novels and those who enjoy authors like Anna Quindlen and Mary Kay Andrews will especially love this series. Or if you’re looking for a heartfelt series you can fully immerse yourself in during a daily commute, this is a great option!
Narrator Performance
Jennifer Jill Araya has narrated the previous books in this series and returns to deliver another heartfelt and engaging performance. She brings protagonist Violet vividly to life with an exuberant, smooth voice perfectly suited to a young woman who’s excited about new adventures. Araya shows off her great acting skills later in the story, during the emotionally melancholy scenes, by shifting her performance of Violet to give her more emotional depth. All the characters are given distinct, expressive voices that match their voices from previous audiobooks. If you’re considering reading this series, the outstanding & consistent performance by Jennifer Jill Araya makes the audiobooks the definite way to go!
Narrator Performance
Jennifer Jill Araya has narrated the previous books in this series and returns to deliver another heartfelt and engaging performance. She brings protagonist Violet vividly to life with an exuberant, smooth voice perfectly suited to a young woman who’s excited about new adventures. Araya shows off her great acting skills later in the story, during the emotionally melancholy scenes, by shifting her performance of Violet to give her more emotional depth. All the characters are given distinct, expressive voices that match their voices from previous audiobooks. If you’re considering reading this series, the outstanding & consistent performance by Jennifer Jill Araya makes the audiobooks the definite way to go!
Jennifer Jill Araya has narrated the previous books in this series and returns to deliver another heartfelt and engaging performance. She brings protagonist Violet vividly to life with an exuberant, smooth voice perfectly suited to a young woman who’s excited about new adventures. Araya shows off her great acting skills later in the story, during the emotionally melancholy scenes, by shifting her performance of Violet to give her more emotional depth. All the characters are given distinct, expressive voices that match their voices from previous audiobooks. If you’re considering reading this series, the outstanding & consistent performance by Jennifer Jill Araya makes the audiobooks the definite way to go!
