Provenance: Tales from a Bookshop

by Anne M. Scriven

Located in an old west of Scotland town, hanging on to its once proud identity with its fingertips, 'Cloisters Bookshop' functions as an oasis of culture and quirky authenticity. The glorious gallimaufry of scenes, sketches and stories assembled here arise from, and are shaped by, the bookshop's valiant setting and rich characters. Differing thus from other contributors to the genre, this will make you both smile and sigh and ultimately dissuade you of the belief that it is only bookselling that goes on in a bookshop.

260 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 2014

About the author

Anne M. Scriven is a freelance writer, researcher and teacher who lives in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

Reviews

[Omiai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked with the author, Anne, in the bookshop discussed within these pages, as soon as I knew it was released, I had to read it. I picked it up one night, thinking i would only read a couple of chapters, and then at 3am I finished reading the whole thing.

Her depiction of the characters is spectacular, she captures each of them wonderfully, but none more so than the owner of the shop, Kelvin. She has managed to describe him and his crazy sense of humour so well, it was like being back in the shop!

The writing style itself is exceptional! The humour and wit of the shop, it's staff and customers definitely shines through, but without Anne's amazing writing ability, you wouldn't be able to grasp quite how hilarious things can be in a second hand bookshop!

There are a couple of chapters on a young customer, Michael, who tragically died at a very young age. Those particular chapters had me sobbing like a baby. After reading them, I felt like I had known the boy for years, and felt his loss so keenly. It was one of the few points i stopped reading to calm myself down.

However, the rest of the book will have you in stitches! I had to muffle my laughter so as not to wake up the rest of the house!

Well worth a read, this wonderfully written book is heartwarming and hilarious. Please, pick up a copy today, you will be buying copies for all your friends!

[Jen-Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Jamie McCrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Occasionally when I spend an hour in a second-hand bookshop, the time passes uneventfully. It seems I am in these places at the wrong time. This series of short glimpses into the life of a Paisley bookshop and the characters that pass through has all the qualities of a great book: humour, sadness, sardonic wit and insight into the human character. Apart from being a beautiful writer, the author also has an in-depth knowledge of writing and literature; there were many times I interrupted my reading to google some of the quotes and references mentioned in the book. Despite that, I had it read in a short period of time. It`s a wonderful read.