Sara is 28 and has never been outside Sweden – except in the (many) books she reads. When her elderly penfriend Amy invites her to come and visit her in Broken Wheel, Iowa, Sara decides it’s time. But when she arrives, there’s a twist waiting for her – Amy has died. Finding herself utterly alone in a dead woman’s house in the middle of nowhere was not the holiday Sara had in mind. But Sara discovers she is not exactly alone.
I’m liking
Sara is a likeable character and both she and the town grow during this book.
This is author Katarina Bivald’s first novel and it’s impossible not to draw parallels. Bivald grew up working part-time in a bookshop and today “…lives in Alta, Sweden, with her sister and as many bookshelves as she can squeeze in. She has still not decided whether she prefers books or people.”
Things that made me go hmmmm
I did think the book was a touch longer than it needed to be. It got a bit lost in the middle but came together (in an entirely predictable but still enjoyable way).
It’s a small thing but I found it weird that no one ever seemed to comment or notice that Sara was a second language speaker. There was never a moment where she was misunderstood and she completely understood everything that was said to her.
The conclusion
If you liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (and such books), you’ll probably enjoy this. It has the same gentle humour and small town quirks and is enjoyable while not demanding too much of you. Perfect summer reading!
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is published by Chatto and Windus and has a RRP of $35
