In her third installment of the Once Upon a Time Bookshop series, Alice Hoffman returns readers to the enchanting Brinkley’s Island, Maine, where the rhythm of tides and the whisper of wind through marshland create the perfect backdrop for a story about grief, healing, and the courage to embrace new beginnings. “The Bookstore Keepers” continues the journey of Isabel and Johnny Lenox, now five years into their marriage, as they navigate the complexities of love in the face of devastating loss and unexpected hope.
A Symphony of Grief and Joy
Hoffman opens “The Bookstore Keepers” with a dream—one that will change everything for ferry captain Johnny Lenox. When Johnny awakens from a vision of an angel that turns out to be his father, Jack, he immediately knows something is wrong. His instincts prove correct when they discover Jack has passed away during the night. What follows is Johnny’s descent into a profound grief that threatens to separate him from Isabel, despite their deep connection.
“He’d blocked out his mother’s death at the time of her passing, but he had been a child then, and it was only now, standing at the foot of his father’s grave, that he felt the weight of being an orphan.”
This exploration of grief is where Hoffman’s storytelling shines brightest. She captures the isolating nature of mourning—how Johnny takes to wandering at night, standing outside the cemetery gates, or idling in his truck outside his father’s former residence. These moments reflect the disorientation that follows profound loss, the way we seek connection with those who have departed by inhabiting the spaces they once did.
Alongside this narrative of loss runs a parallel story of hope: Johnny’s desire for a child of his own. As he processes his father’s death, he realizes how much he wants to experience fatherhood himself. This juxtaposition of endings and beginnings forms the emotional core of the novel, creating a delicate balance between sorrow and anticipation.
The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Series: A Growing Legacy
“The Bookstore Keepers” builds beautifully upon the foundation established in the previous installments. For those new to Hoffman’s enchanting series, it began with “The Bookstore Sisters” (2022), which introduced readers to Isabel and Sophie Gibson, estranged sisters reunited by circumstance to run their family bookstore. Isabel had fled to New York years earlier, leaving behind not only her sister but also Johnny Lenox, the man who waited faithfully for her return.
The second book, “The Bookstore Wedding” (2024), celebrated Isabel and Johnny’s reunion and marriage, exploring how past wounds can heal when given the chance. Now, with “The Bookstore Keepers,” Hoffman delves deeper into their life together, while simultaneously developing Sophie’s daughter Violet’s coming-of-age journey.
The fourth installment, “The Bookstore Family” (promised for later in 2025), will likely continue exploring the expanding family dynamics established in this novel.
Characters: Flawed, Familiar, and Fiercely Loving
What makes Hoffman’s characters so compelling is their authenticity. They struggle, make mistakes, and sometimes hurt those they love most. Yet beneath their flaws runs a current of fierce loyalty and deep affection.
Isabel, once the runaway sister, has found her place on the island, illustrating children’s books and helping run the bookstore. Her character development across the series feels natural and earned. In this installment, she confronts her fears about motherhood while supporting Johnny through his grief.
Johnny Lenox emerges as the emotional center of this novel. His stoic exterior crumbles under the weight of his father’s passing, revealing a vulnerability that adds dimension to his character. His journey through grief toward healing and hope forms the backbone of the narrative.
Violet, Sophie’s daughter, provides a compelling counternarrative as she struggles between family obligation and personal ambition. Her desire to study baking in Paris rather than take over the family bookstore creates tension that mirrors Isabel’s earlier life choices, creating an interesting cyclical pattern within the family.
Prose Like Poetry: Hoffman’s Distinctive Voice
Hoffman’s prose retains its signature lyrical quality, effortlessly weaving everyday observations with almost magical insights. Her descriptions of the island’s natural beauty are particularly evocative:
“By then it was spring. There were already lupines in the fields, and the ferns in the woods were unfolding. Isabel had been standing in the garden for a long time. She’d been thinking about the ways in which sorrow could be turned into joy.”
This poetic approach to language elevates the mundane aspects of daily life into something sacred. Simple moments—drinking tea, carrying an aging dog through marsh grass, standing in a garden—become profound expressions of love and connection.
Magical Realism: The Subtle Enchantment
While less overtly magical than some of Hoffman’s other works (like her Practical Magic series), “The Bookstore Keepers” still contains elements of the extraordinary within the ordinary. Johnny’s prophetic dream about his father’s passing, the way characters seem to intuit each other’s thoughts, and the almost supernatural sense of connection to place all suggest that reality in Hoffman’s world is slightly more permeable than our own.
The children’s book within the story, “How Much Do I Love You,” functions as another magical element, keeping the sisters’ mother’s voice alive years after her death. The book’s recurrent lines—”I love you more than a fish loves a river, more than a bird loves the sky”—become a kind of incantation, connecting generations through love that transcends death.
Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Well
- Emotional authenticity – Hoffman depicts grief, love, and hope with remarkable honesty
- Sense of place – Brinkley’s Island feels tangibly real, with its marshes, bookstore, and seasonal rhythms
- Intergenerational themes – The connections between parents and children, both present and absent, create emotional resonance
- Accessible prose – Despite its poetic qualities, the writing remains clear and emotionally direct
Where It Falls Short
- Pacing issues – The narrative occasionally meanders, particularly in the middle section where Johnny’s grief feels somewhat repetitive
- Limited perspective – While we understand Isabel and Johnny well, secondary characters like Sophie would benefit from more development
- Predictable resolution – Some plot developments, particularly regarding Violet’s departure and Isabel’s pregnancy, feel telegraphed early on
- Minimal conflict – The external obstacles are relatively modest, making the stakes feel lower than they might be
A Book About Bookstores: Meta-Narrative Appeal
There’s something inherently appealing about books that celebrate books themselves. The Once Upon a Time Bookshop forms the heart of this community, functioning not just as a business but as a gathering place, a repository of stories, and a bridge between generations.
The detail that visitors now come to see where the fictional “How Much Do I Love You” was written adds a charming meta-layer to the narrative. Books within books, stories about storytellers—these elements create a sense of continuity between fiction and reality that encourages readers to reflect on how stories shape our own lives.
Final Thoughts: A Tender Addition to the Series
“The Bookstore Keepers” doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. Its strength lies in its emotional honesty, lyrical prose, and deep understanding of how families function—both those we’re born into and those we create. While the plot occasionally meanders and some developments feel predictable, the emotional payoff remains satisfying.
For fans of the series, this installment deepens our connection to Brinkley’s Island and its inhabitants. For newcomers, it stands well enough on its own, though reading the previous books would provide richer context.
At its heart, “The Bookstore Keepers” is about the courage it takes to open ourselves to new beginnings even in the shadow of endings. As Johnny observes near the novel’s conclusion: “Nothing stayed the same, they knew that, but they were here together now.” In Hoffman’s capable hands, that present-tense togetherness becomes enough—a small miracle amid life’s inevitable changes.
Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Strout’s “Olive Kitteridge,” Ann Patchett’s “Commonwealth,” and Elin Hilderbrand’s Nantucket novels.