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The Bookshop Sisters
A story of sisterhood, secrets and standing up for what you believe in from the award-winning author of The Little Bee Charmer of Henrietta Street and The Weather Girls
It's 1956. When thirteen-year-old bookworm Rosy Heron and her big sister Martha are sent to Dublin to help their aunt Toto in her busy bookshop for the summer, their quiet lives change overnight.
Baggot Books is right in the bohemian centre of the city – buzzing with artists, writers and theatre folks – and the sisters quickly become part of the team, as junior booksellers and delivery girls.
The bookshop is also full of secrets. Where does Aunt Toto disappear to at night, and what exactly is happening in the basement of the shop? Rosy is determined to solve the mystery, but she's not the only one interested in the goings on in Baggot Books …
It's 1956. When thirteen-year-old bookworm Rosy Heron and her big sister Martha are sent to Dublin to help their aunt Toto in her busy bookshop for the summer, their quiet lives change overnight.
Baggot Books is right in the bohemian centre of the city – buzzing with artists, writers and theatre folks – and the sisters quickly become part of the team, as junior booksellers and delivery girls.
The bookshop is also full of secrets. Where does Aunt Toto disappear to at night, and what exactly is happening in the basement of the shop? Rosy is determined to solve the mystery, but she's not the only one interested in the goings on in Baggot Books …
272 pages, Paperback
Published July 23, 2026
About the author
Sarah Webb
108 books168 followersSarah Webb is an award-winning children’s writer. Her books include Blazing a Trail: Irish Women who Changed the World (illustrated by Lauren O’Neill) and A Sailor Went to Sea, Sea, Sea: Favourite Rhymes from an Irish Childhood (illustrated by Steve McCarthy), both winners of Irish Book Awards.
Sarah also runs creative writing clubs for children and teens, reviews children’s books for the Irish Independent, and programmes children’s and family events for book festivals and MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland). She also works part-time in a children’s bookshop.
Sarah is passionate about bringing children and books together and was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Books in Ireland.
Her latest book, The Little Beekeeper of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran) was published in 2021.
www.sarahwebb.ie
Twitter: @sarahwebbishere
Instagram: @sarahwebbwriter
Sarah also runs creative writing clubs for children and teens, reviews children’s books for the Irish Independent, and programmes children’s and family events for book festivals and MoLI (Museum of Literature Ireland). She also works part-time in a children’s bookshop.
Sarah is passionate about bringing children and books together and was awarded the Children’s Books Ireland Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Books in Ireland.
Her latest book, The Little Beekeeper of Henrietta Street (illustrated by Rachel Corcoran) was published in 2021.
www.sarahwebb.ie
Twitter: @sarahwebbishere
Instagram: @sarahwebbwriter
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 16, 2026
The Bookshop Sisters is a heart-warming, exciting historical adventure, set in 1950s Ireland, with strong bonds of sisterhood and friendship, that sang to my bookish heart.
Thirteen-year-old Rosy Heron and her older sister, Martha are intending to spend their summer holidays in their quiet home town of Skibbereen. But that all changes when the family get an unexpected call from Aunt Toto, their mum’s sister, who wants the girls to become trainee booksellers in her Dublin bookshop, Baggot Books. Both girls are bookworms but, whilst Rosie is excited for an adventure, Martha is more reluctant to spend the summer away from home.
When they arrive at the bookshop, they are made welcome by their Aunt Toto and her booksellers and they soon find themselves settling in to the lives of junior booksellers and delivery girls. Whilst Martha settles in to pricing, stocking and selling books, Rosy discovers the neglected children’s section – and what she achieves is just wonderful – and inspirational!
It is not long before Nancy Drew enthusiast Rosy discovers that the bookshop is keeping secrets – and there may well be a mystery to solve. What are the strange noises coming from the basement? Why do secretive meetings take place there? And, why do others seem so interested in what the bookshop is selling?
This is exactly the kind of book younger me would have devoured – and older me absolutely relished. I loved that the story has a bookshop and bookselling at its heart with a wonderfully diverse, and incredibly likeable, group of booksellers and patrons, including some much-loved authors and poets. The bookselling team felt like a close family with their strong, shared beliefs, support for each other – and enjoyment of some mouth-watering meals! I also loved that they are firm believers in equal rights – and prepared to take risks to put their beliefs into action.
Many of my favourite books are mentioned in the pages of this adventure which immediately brought me back to my childhood and reignited that warm feeling that memories of favourite books always brings.
Rosy and Martha are incredibly likeable young girls who have a strong bond of sisterhood and a keen sense of justice. Rosy is kind-hearted, impulsive and outgoing, which sometimes leads her into trouble, but she really does have a heart of gold. Older sister Martha is more cautious and considered, but shows real passion when she fights for something she really believes in. I also really enjoyed learning about the two other sisters in this adventure, and loved how their story brought healing and re-connection.
There are some important themes covered in this story that will open readers’ eyes to Ireland’s social history during the 1950s with regard to equal rights for women and the banning of books. The author has included more information at the beginning of the book, and in the historical notes, which are both fascinating and informative, and a brilliant addition to the story not least because they champion the inspirational, courageous and determined woman who make a difference.
An inspiring, heart-warming historical adventure, with friendship and sisterhood at its heart, perfect for readers of 9+.
Thirteen-year-old Rosy Heron and her older sister, Martha are intending to spend their summer holidays in their quiet home town of Skibbereen. But that all changes when the family get an unexpected call from Aunt Toto, their mum’s sister, who wants the girls to become trainee booksellers in her Dublin bookshop, Baggot Books. Both girls are bookworms but, whilst Rosie is excited for an adventure, Martha is more reluctant to spend the summer away from home.
When they arrive at the bookshop, they are made welcome by their Aunt Toto and her booksellers and they soon find themselves settling in to the lives of junior booksellers and delivery girls. Whilst Martha settles in to pricing, stocking and selling books, Rosy discovers the neglected children’s section – and what she achieves is just wonderful – and inspirational!
It is not long before Nancy Drew enthusiast Rosy discovers that the bookshop is keeping secrets – and there may well be a mystery to solve. What are the strange noises coming from the basement? Why do secretive meetings take place there? And, why do others seem so interested in what the bookshop is selling?
This is exactly the kind of book younger me would have devoured – and older me absolutely relished. I loved that the story has a bookshop and bookselling at its heart with a wonderfully diverse, and incredibly likeable, group of booksellers and patrons, including some much-loved authors and poets. The bookselling team felt like a close family with their strong, shared beliefs, support for each other – and enjoyment of some mouth-watering meals! I also loved that they are firm believers in equal rights – and prepared to take risks to put their beliefs into action.
Many of my favourite books are mentioned in the pages of this adventure which immediately brought me back to my childhood and reignited that warm feeling that memories of favourite books always brings.
Rosy and Martha are incredibly likeable young girls who have a strong bond of sisterhood and a keen sense of justice. Rosy is kind-hearted, impulsive and outgoing, which sometimes leads her into trouble, but she really does have a heart of gold. Older sister Martha is more cautious and considered, but shows real passion when she fights for something she really believes in. I also really enjoyed learning about the two other sisters in this adventure, and loved how their story brought healing and re-connection.
There are some important themes covered in this story that will open readers’ eyes to Ireland’s social history during the 1950s with regard to equal rights for women and the banning of books. The author has included more information at the beginning of the book, and in the historical notes, which are both fascinating and informative, and a brilliant addition to the story not least because they champion the inspirational, courageous and determined woman who make a difference.
An inspiring, heart-warming historical adventure, with friendship and sisterhood at its heart, perfect for readers of 9+.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a review copy from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
THE BOOKSHOP SISTERS is a story of bookshops and communities rallying to protest injustice.
This book is firmly middle grade. I wasn't sure, going in, if it would actually be teen (Rosy, the narrator, is thirteen, which can sometimes mean teen). However, the tone of the book is very much middle grade. It's about the first chance to be (semi-)independent and has younger narrative voice than I'm used to from the 13-year-olds I know.
Being set in a bookshop, it is naturally a book about books, specifically selling them and sharing the love of them. You get a behind-the-scenes look at bookselling - from ordering and returns, to managing customers. It is certainly a rosy look at them (pun intended): there's only one difficult customer, but that's tied to the storyline around book banning rather than the grind of customer service and entitled customers.
The book focuses on book banning and gender-discrimination in the 1950s in Ireland. The central banned book of the story (which I think is a fictional book to represent the spectrum of banned books?) is not banned (at least primarily) for any LGBTQ+ content but instead the fact it shows the realities of gender-discrimination in an "un-Irish" way, given it's criticising the government. I can see why the story might focus on that sort of book, but it did mean the "book banning is still a thing" in the end note fell a little flat, given the focus today is on LGBTQ+ and books by authors of colour but the story itself hadn't really touched on that (though they are a few sapphic couples in the book.)
The resistance to book banning (and also gender discrimination laws) is very ground roots in this book. It comes from a community rallying together to defend each other and organising within themselves, becoming a political movement. It shows young people being involved, very much an encouragement to the readership to be involved in community endeavours that they're passionate about.
In all, it's a fun look at a period of time that often feels overlooked in favour of the Second World War.
THE BOOKSHOP SISTERS is a story of bookshops and communities rallying to protest injustice.
This book is firmly middle grade. I wasn't sure, going in, if it would actually be teen (Rosy, the narrator, is thirteen, which can sometimes mean teen). However, the tone of the book is very much middle grade. It's about the first chance to be (semi-)independent and has younger narrative voice than I'm used to from the 13-year-olds I know.
Being set in a bookshop, it is naturally a book about books, specifically selling them and sharing the love of them. You get a behind-the-scenes look at bookselling - from ordering and returns, to managing customers. It is certainly a rosy look at them (pun intended): there's only one difficult customer, but that's tied to the storyline around book banning rather than the grind of customer service and entitled customers.
The book focuses on book banning and gender-discrimination in the 1950s in Ireland. The central banned book of the story (which I think is a fictional book to represent the spectrum of banned books?) is not banned (at least primarily) for any LGBTQ+ content but instead the fact it shows the realities of gender-discrimination in an "un-Irish" way, given it's criticising the government. I can see why the story might focus on that sort of book, but it did mean the "book banning is still a thing" in the end note fell a little flat, given the focus today is on LGBTQ+ and books by authors of colour but the story itself hadn't really touched on that (though they are a few sapphic couples in the book.)
The resistance to book banning (and also gender discrimination laws) is very ground roots in this book. It comes from a community rallying together to defend each other and organising within themselves, becoming a political movement. It shows young people being involved, very much an encouragement to the readership to be involved in community endeavours that they're passionate about.
In all, it's a fun look at a period of time that often feels overlooked in favour of the Second World War.
July 31, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Bookshop Sisters by Sarah Webb
I was browsing in a bookshop when I saw this book, and I fell completely in love with the cover. It looked fun and also like a book I would definitely have picked up when I was younger.
The story opens with the Heron family sitting down to dinner in their home in Skibbereen when the phone rings. It is their aunt Toto, asking if sisters Martha and Rosy would come to Dublin to work in her bookshop, Baggot Books, for the summer because she is very short-staffed.
The two sisters are very nervous and excited. However, when they arrive at their aunt’s bookshop, their fears disappear as they meet not only the friendly staff who welcome them with open arms but also the lovely author Mary Lavin and poet Patrick Kavanagh.
They also discover that a lot is going on at Baggot Books that they are kept in the dark about. Rosy, whose favourite author is Nancy Drew, is determined to solve the mystery of the whispering, her aunt's disappearance, and what exactly goes on in the basement late at night.
This book took me less than a day to read because I got totally lost in it. It brought me right back to my youth and all the wonderful books I read then. The fact that it was set in a bookshop in Ireland in 1956 just made this all the more entertaining.
I loved how the two sisters were so different; Rosie, a chatterbox trying to help everyone she meets and Martha, quieter and more observant, who thinks before she speaks.
This is not only a cosy, beautiful story about books. It is also a story about standing up for what you believe in, fighting for change in society that should have happened long ago, and helping those in need. There was such a sense of community and family amongst the characters, and I fell in love with them all. I had a huge happy heart when I finished this book, and I will definitely be recommending it to young readers.
I was browsing in a bookshop when I saw this book, and I fell completely in love with the cover. It looked fun and also like a book I would definitely have picked up when I was younger.
The story opens with the Heron family sitting down to dinner in their home in Skibbereen when the phone rings. It is their aunt Toto, asking if sisters Martha and Rosy would come to Dublin to work in her bookshop, Baggot Books, for the summer because she is very short-staffed.
The two sisters are very nervous and excited. However, when they arrive at their aunt’s bookshop, their fears disappear as they meet not only the friendly staff who welcome them with open arms but also the lovely author Mary Lavin and poet Patrick Kavanagh.
They also discover that a lot is going on at Baggot Books that they are kept in the dark about. Rosy, whose favourite author is Nancy Drew, is determined to solve the mystery of the whispering, her aunt's disappearance, and what exactly goes on in the basement late at night.
This book took me less than a day to read because I got totally lost in it. It brought me right back to my youth and all the wonderful books I read then. The fact that it was set in a bookshop in Ireland in 1956 just made this all the more entertaining.
I loved how the two sisters were so different; Rosie, a chatterbox trying to help everyone she meets and Martha, quieter and more observant, who thinks before she speaks.
This is not only a cosy, beautiful story about books. It is also a story about standing up for what you believe in, fighting for change in society that should have happened long ago, and helping those in need. There was such a sense of community and family amongst the characters, and I fell in love with them all. I had a huge happy heart when I finished this book, and I will definitely be recommending it to young readers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Amazing book
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews