This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page, narrated by Zadeiah Campbell-Davies, is a solemn and heartwarming read that explores unexpected grief and joy in coming out of that darkness. Tilly Nightingale has lost her husband, Joe, but when she receives an unexpected gift from him — a year of books — she’s unsure how to proceed.
Joe was not a reader, but he fell in love with Tilly after a chance meeting at a bookstore, which he ran into to get out of the rain. Their relationship grows over time, and despite some tension with his family about their engagement, his diagnosis expedites their plans. A short-lived marriage and life barely built together is deeply mourned by Tilly. She’s unsure how to go on — but throws herself into her job, a job she’d thought about leaving for another until her husband became ill.
When Alfie, the owner of Book Lane, calls out of the blue with Joe’s gift, Tilly is uncertain that she’s up to read anything. It’s a joy that faded amid the medical appointments, treatments, and business of care and death after Joe’s diagnosis. Can Joe’s gift reignite her passion for books and reading? Can it help her learn to live her life without him?
Tilly is like many of us readers who love books and share our love of books with others. But caring for her husband and realizing that he’s no longer with her breaks her spirit. She becomes a shell of herself. Despite this, she finds herself, if not eager, at least curious about the books her late husband has chosen for her. Readers will love how these books reignite her thirst for life and help her deal with her grief.
I absolutely loved all of these characters. From Alfie the bookshop owner who refuses to ask for help, even from his dedicated staff to the grief group Tilly meets on one of her adventures. Tilly even reconnects with friends who faded away after her husband’s diagnosis. This felt real to me. Some friends have their own memories and hardships and can’t be there when you need them, while others have nothing but time and love to give you.
Books are tied to memory. We make those connections. We can live through books and have adventures with the characters, and that’s exactly the atmosphere created by Libby Page.
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page doesn’t shy away from the grief or the tough stuff, but this is a book about reclaiming your life, creating new memories while honoring the past, and learning to live life as fully as you can.
RATING: Cinquain
About the Author:
Libby Page is the internationally bestselling author of six novels. Her latest novel, This Book Made Me Think of You, was an instant USA Today bestseller. She is also a writing coach at The Novelry, where she mentors writers through the process of writing their own novels. Before writing her debut novel, The Lido (published as Mornings With Rosemary in the US) she worked as a journalist and in marketing. She lives in Somerset with her husband and young son.
