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The Bermondsey Bookshop
Bermondsey, 1920s: After her mother's death, Kate is taken in by her father's sister, the quick-tempered Aunt Sylvie. Already struggling to feed children of her own, Aunt Sylvie treats Kate like an unwanted burden. Although Kate's father disappeared when she was a child, she still harbors hope that he will one day reappear and release her from this miserable existence. If only she knew why he left and what really happened to her mother.
One day, after a terrible argument, 18-year-old Kate is thrown out. Desperate to land on her own two feet, she answers an advert for a cleaner at The Bermondsey Bookshop and Reading Room. Little does she know that her life is about to be changed forever.
In this cozy shop in Bermondsey Street, owned by a wealthy, idealistic young woman, Kate's eyes are opened to a whole new world. The bookshop is a vibrant meeting place for the local factory workers and dockers, and the free reading room is a place where they can read in peace and attend lectures by the famous literary lights of the day. Here Kate rubs shoulders with Johnny "Rasher" Bacon, the docker who goes to read Marx, and Martin Cliffe, the handsome, upperclass student who comes to hear H.G. Wells speak.
But when Kate recognizes a stranger from her past, can she be sure that he is all that he seems? And will she be true to her roots and pick the fiery young Docker "Rasher" Bacon? Or can the handsome young scholar Martin Cliffe persuade Kate that love can bridge the gulf between their two worlds?
One day, after a terrible argument, 18-year-old Kate is thrown out. Desperate to land on her own two feet, she answers an advert for a cleaner at The Bermondsey Bookshop and Reading Room. Little does she know that her life is about to be changed forever.
In this cozy shop in Bermondsey Street, owned by a wealthy, idealistic young woman, Kate's eyes are opened to a whole new world. The bookshop is a vibrant meeting place for the local factory workers and dockers, and the free reading room is a place where they can read in peace and attend lectures by the famous literary lights of the day. Here Kate rubs shoulders with Johnny "Rasher" Bacon, the docker who goes to read Marx, and Martin Cliffe, the handsome, upperclass student who comes to hear H.G. Wells speak.
But when Kate recognizes a stranger from her past, can she be sure that he is all that he seems? And will she be true to her roots and pick the fiery young Docker "Rasher" Bacon? Or can the handsome young scholar Martin Cliffe persuade Kate that love can bridge the gulf between their two worlds?
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2020
151 people are currently reading
3270 people want to read
About the author
Mary Gibson
7 books134 followersMary Gibson was born and brought up in Bermondsey, south east London. In 2009, after a thirty year career in publishing, she took the opportunity of early retirement to write a book of her own! Her début novel, Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts was inspired by the lives and times of her grandparents in World War One Bermondsey and went on to become a top ten Kindle best seller. It was selected as one of twenty titles for World Book Night 2015. Six more Bermondsey novels have followed, Jam and Roses, Gunner Girls and Fighter Boys, Bourbon Creams and Tattered Dreams , Hattie's Home, A Sister's Struggle and The Bermondsey Bookshop.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
September 29, 2022
A charming but seemingly non idealised tale centred around Kate, living under frugal conditions with her intentionally cruel and bitter aunt and cousins in 1920s Bermondsey, which remained a centre for poor working class Londoners until deep into the 2010s! As pretty much all Mary Gibson's work is set in early Twentieth Century London the historical research and context is second to none, so despite the rags to riches and love triangle tropes, Gibson doesn't veer away from the despicable living and working conditions, the lack of a social welfare safety net and the mass abuses by men of all walks of life, on women and children. A pretty interesting read.
Archive photograph of the bookshop in the 1920s
The lure for your average reader in this, is the usage of a real place in history as a central plot location in the Bermondsey Bookshop; the story also includes the use of a number of real people who actually volunteered and/or worked in the shop at the time. Worth a read solely for the historical context, but also for the overall story of a young woman overcoming multiple barriers to improve her life. 6 out of 12.
2022 read
Archive photograph of the bookshop in the 1920s
The lure for your average reader in this, is the usage of a real place in history as a central plot location in the Bermondsey Bookshop; the story also includes the use of a number of real people who actually volunteered and/or worked in the shop at the time. Worth a read solely for the historical context, but also for the overall story of a young woman overcoming multiple barriers to improve her life. 6 out of 12.
2022 read
February 10, 2020
This book is based around a real bookshop that was founded by Ethel Gurtman in 1921. Established to provide a place for the working classes to learn to read, buy books learn languages or stage classical plays. Cross was a young woman who struggled with poverty. Her other had died and her father had abandoned her. She works several jobs to try and make ends meet. When she gets a job in the bookshop, her life begins to change.
With a well crafted plot and a great descriptions of the bookshop, what ore could you want. I found this story both intriguing and sad. Kate is a feisty character. This is a beautifully written story ut its pace is quite slow. This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking read. A must read for fans of historical fiction.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Aria and the author Mary Gibson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With a well crafted plot and a great descriptions of the bookshop, what ore could you want. I found this story both intriguing and sad. Kate is a feisty character. This is a beautifully written story ut its pace is quite slow. This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking read. A must read for fans of historical fiction.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Aria and the author Mary Gibson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2020
I chose to read this book because of the title as well as the description of the story - but the title immediately made me open to it. I like books about bookstores - I've spent so many happy hours in them myself I just can't resist.
The story is set in 1920s London and is focused around the spirited Kate Goss. Kate's mother died, her father has been away for years, and Kate is living with a mean and resentful aunt and her children. Kate is treated terribly and is definitely not wanted. She holds onto her dream that her father will come back and rescue her from this situation. Kate has to work very hard for food and rent at a factory. During layoff periods at the factory she picks up some cleaning jobs to make ends meet. She picked up a job at The Bermondsey Bookshop doing part-time cleaning. The Bermondsey Bookshop is an unusual place where people from all classes can come to read, learn to read, visit and share. The book is based on the very real Bermondsey Bookshop which I found fascinating.
There was something about the charming prose that I really enjoyed. I loved the character Kate; she is so strong and self-reliant that I admired each of her triumphs. The book has its villians though that I loved to hate! This is the first book I've read by Mary Gibson, but I enjoyed the writing so much I will be looking for more.
Thanks to Mary Gibson and Head of Zeus through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story is set in 1920s London and is focused around the spirited Kate Goss. Kate's mother died, her father has been away for years, and Kate is living with a mean and resentful aunt and her children. Kate is treated terribly and is definitely not wanted. She holds onto her dream that her father will come back and rescue her from this situation. Kate has to work very hard for food and rent at a factory. During layoff periods at the factory she picks up some cleaning jobs to make ends meet. She picked up a job at The Bermondsey Bookshop doing part-time cleaning. The Bermondsey Bookshop is an unusual place where people from all classes can come to read, learn to read, visit and share. The book is based on the very real Bermondsey Bookshop which I found fascinating.
There was something about the charming prose that I really enjoyed. I loved the character Kate; she is so strong and self-reliant that I admired each of her triumphs. The book has its villians though that I loved to hate! This is the first book I've read by Mary Gibson, but I enjoyed the writing so much I will be looking for more.
Thanks to Mary Gibson and Head of Zeus through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2020
The story moves at a pace that allows plenty of opportunity for the author to provide detail about daily life for working class families in 1920s Bermondsey. The contrast between their experience – poor and overcrowded housing, ill health, insecure work – and that of the wealthier and more privileged is vividly depicted. In a neat inversion, it is Kate who lives in a garret and Martin, the artist for whom she models, who lives in a swanky flat.
I might have wished for a little more of the story to be focused on the Bermondsey Bookshop itself (which actually existed, founded in 1921 by Ethel Gutman, who also appears in the book). Instead its main role is to act as a location for Kate to meet other characters that she might not otherwise have encountered. For example, wealthy French teacher, Nora, or Martin, the aforementioned artist.
In Kate, the author has created an incredibly engaging main character – spirited, independent-minded, intelligent, and resilient. She certainly needs to be all those things because the author gives her plenty of trials and tribulations to face including homelessness, unemployment, debt, intimidation and cruelty from people who should treat her better. Happiness is indeed precarious. Through it all, you can’t help rooting for Kate – or forgiving her the odd purloined sticky bun or fisticuffs with her cousin Stan.
Initially, I couldn’t warm to Kate’s childhood sweetheart, Johnny, despite his own unhappy situation, but later I was forced to reappraise my view. I also thought Kate’s idealised picture of the father who’d abandoned her as a child, although evidence of her generous nature, showed more than a little naivety. I wasn’t completely surprised by how things turned out.
As Kate learns, it’s not merely distance that separates Bermondsey and Belgravia, money doesn’t necessarily buy you happiness, ‘wealth is not the same as worth’, and dreams are sometimes just that. ‘She’d learned the folly of pinning her hopes on someone else to give her a better life, but she’d also learned her own power.’
The Bermondsey Bookshop has all the ingredients readers look for in this brand of historical fiction: a well-crafted story with great period atmosphere; moments of melodrama; a varied cast of characters, some likeable, others definitely not; and an inspiring message of the possibility of triumph over adversity. Cinderella meets My Fair Lady, if you like.
I might have wished for a little more of the story to be focused on the Bermondsey Bookshop itself (which actually existed, founded in 1921 by Ethel Gutman, who also appears in the book). Instead its main role is to act as a location for Kate to meet other characters that she might not otherwise have encountered. For example, wealthy French teacher, Nora, or Martin, the aforementioned artist.
In Kate, the author has created an incredibly engaging main character – spirited, independent-minded, intelligent, and resilient. She certainly needs to be all those things because the author gives her plenty of trials and tribulations to face including homelessness, unemployment, debt, intimidation and cruelty from people who should treat her better. Happiness is indeed precarious. Through it all, you can’t help rooting for Kate – or forgiving her the odd purloined sticky bun or fisticuffs with her cousin Stan.
Initially, I couldn’t warm to Kate’s childhood sweetheart, Johnny, despite his own unhappy situation, but later I was forced to reappraise my view. I also thought Kate’s idealised picture of the father who’d abandoned her as a child, although evidence of her generous nature, showed more than a little naivety. I wasn’t completely surprised by how things turned out.
As Kate learns, it’s not merely distance that separates Bermondsey and Belgravia, money doesn’t necessarily buy you happiness, ‘wealth is not the same as worth’, and dreams are sometimes just that. ‘She’d learned the folly of pinning her hopes on someone else to give her a better life, but she’d also learned her own power.’
The Bermondsey Bookshop has all the ingredients readers look for in this brand of historical fiction: a well-crafted story with great period atmosphere; moments of melodrama; a varied cast of characters, some likeable, others definitely not; and an inspiring message of the possibility of triumph over adversity. Cinderella meets My Fair Lady, if you like.
March 11, 2022
It has uttterly robbed me of HOURS of sleep, but what a book!!!!!! I couldn't put it down.
September 6, 2020
I am a bit torn about this one. There were interesting things about the book. I thought the author did a great job with the setting, which was London in the 1920's. The dialect seemed spot on and the author was fantastic at setting up the lives of the working class in Kate's neighborhood. It was exhausting and sad and I felt so bad for her. My issue was that the bookshop was not as much a part of the setting as I had hoped, especially given the fact that the name of the bookshop was in the title of the book. I also thought the pacing of the story was too fast in some places and too slow in others. I also could never really warm to either man in Kate's life. Truthfully, I would have rather the romance was just taken out of it completely. But it was an interesting read with some cute parts.
November 27, 2024
The Bermondsey Bookshop is a lovely piece of historical fiction that is actually set around a real life 1920’s bookshop, which was initially founded to bridge the class gap and allow everyone the chance to read. A century old imagination library, I suppose.
Our protagonist Kate leads a rollercoaster existence, riddled with poverty, neglect abuse and family lies, there’s a definite rags to riches theme, but the author doesn’t shy away from the degradation and poverty of the time in the area.
A fairly lengthy listen but a really enjoyable one.
Currently included with audible 🎧
Our protagonist Kate leads a rollercoaster existence, riddled with poverty, neglect abuse and family lies, there’s a definite rags to riches theme, but the author doesn’t shy away from the degradation and poverty of the time in the area.
A fairly lengthy listen but a really enjoyable one.
Currently included with audible 🎧
May 26, 2020
What can I say? I loved this book, so many adjectives to describe my feelings right now. Kate, one strong and very curious woman, gives us hope that things will get better. From the depths of her poverty, she holds on tight for the ride of her life and you will too. After reading this book, I am reinforced by my thoughts “Knowledge is power”.
November 12, 2021
Ahhhhh I loved it! Such a lovely but real story, the plot be twistin' all over the place yall! It had beautiful lessons in it, always love that in a book. I'd definitely recommend.
Quote time... "Appearances are no indication of character" can I get an amen???
Quote time... "Appearances are no indication of character" can I get an amen???
May 20, 2020
★★★★ 4.5 stars
A book about a bookstore. How could I resist? The smell of old books, new books, all books...and losing oneself to the stories within. Yet THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is not really about a bookshop at all but about one young woman's growth through the strength she finds within that bookshop...and the classes that bring them together.
Kate Goss was just six years old when her mother fell to her death from the garret stairs in which they lived. Her father, overwhelmed with grief, palmed her off to his sister Sylvie to look after until he had made enough money to reclaim her. But that day never came. Instead, Kate grew up with her aunt and her cousins who despised her and tormented her daily. She became their skivvy to cook and clean up after them when really she would rather have dumped their dinner in their laps. When her cousin Stan began to show an unhealthy interest in her, Kate was given the cold confines of the garret for her bedroom. But that didn't stop Stan trying to grope her at every chance.
When Kate turned 14, her Aunt Sylvie dragged her to the local tin factory, Boutle's, who were hiring girls. It was a dirty filthy job but Aunt Sylvie said it was time she "earned her keep" and of the seven shillings sixpence she earned, Sylvie allowed her to keep a shilling for herself...to buy her own clothes and soap, mind. Kate had no idea where the rest of her money went, for it wasn't on her keep. At Boutle's Kate makes a few friends but one particular kindly robust woman called Marge takes her under her wing. There is also Conny, a young girl who replaces Kate with the sweeping and cleaning when she started tinplate bashing.
Kate had been at Boutle's three years when she had an altercation with her cousins and aunt that there would be no turning back from. Her spiteful cousin Janey, three years her senior, made innuendos and untoward comments about Kate's deceased mum...and Kate saw red. She punched Janey square in the nose, breaking it, and did not let up punching her until Aunt Sylvie stabbed her with a knife, drawing it along her arm. The incident saw Sylvie throw Kate and her meagre possessions out with nowhere to go. She tried her Aunt Sarah down the row but she couldn't stay there. She even slept on the boats moored in the river until she was caught. Despite having nowhere to go, Kate vowed she would never return to Sylvie's. Then Aunt Sarah said she had found her a place...but it was ten shillings a week! Three more than she earned at Boutle's. But the room was none other than the garret in which she had lived with her mum and dad all those years ago...and she felt she had come home. Each night she would gaze out the little dormer window down to the Thames and dream of her father coming back to rescue her. That was when she began looking for extra work to take on. And when Marge came across a notice in a window for a cleaner, she was quick to tell Kate about it before the position was snatched up.
In her dinner break, Kate raced up to Bermondsey Street and looked for the brightly coloured building Marge had described to her...and found herself standing outside the Bermondsey Bookshop. A bookshop? In Bermondsey? She went in and met Ethel Gutman, the proprietor, stating that she was here for the job as cleaner. The hours were a little different, Ethel informed her but that didn't matter as it could be worked around her shifts at Boutle's and those as a barmaid down at the Hand and Marigold pub. Ethel said the pay wasn't much but to Kate it was more than she could have imagined and even better than that at Boutle's. And so she began her silent work as a cleaner for the bookshop. Little did she know, the faces that she was to meet within this little shop would change the course of her life forever.
Kate dreamed of a life with her father, one where he would return to reclaim her and they would live happily every after but her aunt Sylvie and cousin Stan tried putting paid to that by telling her he didn't want to see her. Besides, he was now living abroad making his fortune - why would he want to come to Bermondsey? But one morning, Kate catches a glimpse of a familiar figure in a flash car outside the bookshop. It can't be...can it?
Set in 1920s London, THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is a well-crafted story of period fiction, complete with melodrama and a diverse cast of characters - some likable, others definitely not. It features the real Bermondsey Bookshop that was founded by Ethel Gutman in 1921, who also features in this story, and although the book's focus is not the bookshop but rather Kate, it is an important fixture of Kate's story.
THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is such a heartwarming tale of Kate's strength and determination, her rise from the cockney girl of Bermondsey to the affluence of Belgravia. But Kate soon learns that it's far more than distance that separates Bermondsey and Belgravia and money doesn't necessarily buy you happiness.
My first read by Mary Gibson, I definitely recommend this wonderful historical tale that has an easy style with great flow.
I would like to thank #MaryGibson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheBermondseyBookshop in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
A book about a bookstore. How could I resist? The smell of old books, new books, all books...and losing oneself to the stories within. Yet THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is not really about a bookshop at all but about one young woman's growth through the strength she finds within that bookshop...and the classes that bring them together.
Kate Goss was just six years old when her mother fell to her death from the garret stairs in which they lived. Her father, overwhelmed with grief, palmed her off to his sister Sylvie to look after until he had made enough money to reclaim her. But that day never came. Instead, Kate grew up with her aunt and her cousins who despised her and tormented her daily. She became their skivvy to cook and clean up after them when really she would rather have dumped their dinner in their laps. When her cousin Stan began to show an unhealthy interest in her, Kate was given the cold confines of the garret for her bedroom. But that didn't stop Stan trying to grope her at every chance.
When Kate turned 14, her Aunt Sylvie dragged her to the local tin factory, Boutle's, who were hiring girls. It was a dirty filthy job but Aunt Sylvie said it was time she "earned her keep" and of the seven shillings sixpence she earned, Sylvie allowed her to keep a shilling for herself...to buy her own clothes and soap, mind. Kate had no idea where the rest of her money went, for it wasn't on her keep. At Boutle's Kate makes a few friends but one particular kindly robust woman called Marge takes her under her wing. There is also Conny, a young girl who replaces Kate with the sweeping and cleaning when she started tinplate bashing.
Kate had been at Boutle's three years when she had an altercation with her cousins and aunt that there would be no turning back from. Her spiteful cousin Janey, three years her senior, made innuendos and untoward comments about Kate's deceased mum...and Kate saw red. She punched Janey square in the nose, breaking it, and did not let up punching her until Aunt Sylvie stabbed her with a knife, drawing it along her arm. The incident saw Sylvie throw Kate and her meagre possessions out with nowhere to go. She tried her Aunt Sarah down the row but she couldn't stay there. She even slept on the boats moored in the river until she was caught. Despite having nowhere to go, Kate vowed she would never return to Sylvie's. Then Aunt Sarah said she had found her a place...but it was ten shillings a week! Three more than she earned at Boutle's. But the room was none other than the garret in which she had lived with her mum and dad all those years ago...and she felt she had come home. Each night she would gaze out the little dormer window down to the Thames and dream of her father coming back to rescue her. That was when she began looking for extra work to take on. And when Marge came across a notice in a window for a cleaner, she was quick to tell Kate about it before the position was snatched up.
In her dinner break, Kate raced up to Bermondsey Street and looked for the brightly coloured building Marge had described to her...and found herself standing outside the Bermondsey Bookshop. A bookshop? In Bermondsey? She went in and met Ethel Gutman, the proprietor, stating that she was here for the job as cleaner. The hours were a little different, Ethel informed her but that didn't matter as it could be worked around her shifts at Boutle's and those as a barmaid down at the Hand and Marigold pub. Ethel said the pay wasn't much but to Kate it was more than she could have imagined and even better than that at Boutle's. And so she began her silent work as a cleaner for the bookshop. Little did she know, the faces that she was to meet within this little shop would change the course of her life forever.
Kate dreamed of a life with her father, one where he would return to reclaim her and they would live happily every after but her aunt Sylvie and cousin Stan tried putting paid to that by telling her he didn't want to see her. Besides, he was now living abroad making his fortune - why would he want to come to Bermondsey? But one morning, Kate catches a glimpse of a familiar figure in a flash car outside the bookshop. It can't be...can it?
Set in 1920s London, THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is a well-crafted story of period fiction, complete with melodrama and a diverse cast of characters - some likable, others definitely not. It features the real Bermondsey Bookshop that was founded by Ethel Gutman in 1921, who also features in this story, and although the book's focus is not the bookshop but rather Kate, it is an important fixture of Kate's story.
THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is such a heartwarming tale of Kate's strength and determination, her rise from the cockney girl of Bermondsey to the affluence of Belgravia. But Kate soon learns that it's far more than distance that separates Bermondsey and Belgravia and money doesn't necessarily buy you happiness.
My first read by Mary Gibson, I definitely recommend this wonderful historical tale that has an easy style with great flow.
I would like to thank #MaryGibson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheBermondseyBookshop in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
February 12, 2020
Firstly, to start this review it is important for you to know that the bookshop was a very real place, set down in a very unlikely neighborhood where people struggle to simply make the rent and put food on the table. The changes wrought in the early 1900’s in Britain not only returned (or didn’t) several men from World War I, a shakeup of the ‘grand houses’, women finding work other than street corners, and a general overlay of grime and soot because of the heavy use of coal for heat and power. Into this mix comes Ethel Gutman, backed by her husband, with her determination and belief that the class divide is a useless concept, and that true art and literature should (and could) be available to all. Setting up a series of “subscription plans” to purchase books, as well as lectures, clubs and classes, and allowing anyone to come in and read ‘at will’: the shop defied thought and convention of the day in providing an outlet (and a space) where thought and words were celebrated.
Enter Kate, our heroine, who we first meet at fourteen and learn that her mother died in a fall, her father left her with an aunt as he went off to ‘find his fortune”. But Kate was always misused at her aunt’s home: from the beatings and cruel words to being banished to the garret, to removed from school to become a ‘tin basher’ at the local factory. Underfed, under loved and hoping for her father’s return, Kate soon finds herself unable to ‘stay’ with her wages being taken and now at 17 far more unwilling to take the abuse from her family. Struggle and hard work are nothing new, but a sign on a bookshop of all things opens new doors and opportunities for her.
Three jobs, two suitors: the struggles don’t end and the secrets continue to unfold as Kate’s journey continues. Her talent and ability to work metal into decorative items will be a saving grace for her- giving her options to ‘make her own way’ without the physical effects of the factory. From Bermondsey to Belgravia, Kate is quietly finding a new definition for herself, and answers about her past and family dynamics as she seeks to build her own life that both conforms to and contradicts society’s expectation. Engaging, readable and engrossing, each moment of revelation and remembrance brings Kate more fully to life, and allows readers to better relate to and understand the conditions and constraints of 1920’s London.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Enter Kate, our heroine, who we first meet at fourteen and learn that her mother died in a fall, her father left her with an aunt as he went off to ‘find his fortune”. But Kate was always misused at her aunt’s home: from the beatings and cruel words to being banished to the garret, to removed from school to become a ‘tin basher’ at the local factory. Underfed, under loved and hoping for her father’s return, Kate soon finds herself unable to ‘stay’ with her wages being taken and now at 17 far more unwilling to take the abuse from her family. Struggle and hard work are nothing new, but a sign on a bookshop of all things opens new doors and opportunities for her.
Three jobs, two suitors: the struggles don’t end and the secrets continue to unfold as Kate’s journey continues. Her talent and ability to work metal into decorative items will be a saving grace for her- giving her options to ‘make her own way’ without the physical effects of the factory. From Bermondsey to Belgravia, Kate is quietly finding a new definition for herself, and answers about her past and family dynamics as she seeks to build her own life that both conforms to and contradicts society’s expectation. Engaging, readable and engrossing, each moment of revelation and remembrance brings Kate more fully to life, and allows readers to better relate to and understand the conditions and constraints of 1920’s London.
I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
February 2, 2020
The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson is an intriguing historical novel. I found it to be well-written that moved along at a thoughtful pace and it has a strong female protagonist. Kate Goss had a loving mother until she had an accident coming down the steep garret stairs. Archie Goss, Kate’s father, deposited Kate with his sister, Sylvie and then departed. Sylvie did not like Kate’s Romany mother, Bessie which she takes out on Kate. Her cousins, Janey and Stan are just as mean and spiteful. Kate holds out the hope that her father will return one day and take her away. Kate is a spirited girl who works hard. She makes some unfortunate choices, but Kate also makes some memorable friends. We get to see Kate go from a teenager to an adult. I could feel Kate’s struggles and her sadness. Of course, Kate had some unforgettable moments as well. There were a variety of interesting characters in The Bermondsey Bookshop. There were some kindhearted souls and some truly terrible people. I especially liked the various people that frequented the Bermondsey Bookshop. It was interesting reading about the Bermondsey Bookshop (it was a real place). It was open for hours that suited the working class and offered a variety of classes (reading, elocution, French, drama) as well as lectures. After reading this book, I searched out more information on this unique bookshop. I thought Mary Gibson captured the accents of the people along with their attitudes especially when it came to education and money. Children were not allowed to enjoy their childhood for long. They were expected to go to work and turn over their wages. There is some mild foul language along with violence (parents or relatives hitting children, men beating their wives, men wanting certain “favors”) which was, unfortunately, typical of the time period. The Bermondsey Bookshop is a book that will have you reading long into the night to find out how Kate’s story ends. The Bermondsey Bookshop has a sharp tongued shrew, a conniving cousin, a fetid factory, a vanished father, and one feisty female.
September 7, 2020
Did not finish. Had to stop because of language. Disappointing because it had potential. But no good eating ice cream full of cockroaches.
January 16, 2022
3.5 The Bermondsey Bookshop was founded by Ethel Gutman In February of 1921. She had a vision to bring books and the love of books into Bermondsey. She wanted to make books accessible to the working class. Gibson does an excellent job of creating what it must of been like in this community for the working class. Katy was abandoned by her Dad after her Mom died when she was 10 and left with one of her Dad's sisters who was extremely abusive. The bookshop became Katy's haven and the friendships she developed were what helped her weather the abuse as she waited for her Dad to return to rescue her. Gibson tells the story of the power of friendships, honesty and how we sometimes create a world we want to live in instead of living in the world we occupy. A few examples of the richness of her writing: "Johnny's normally assured expression was dimmed by loss. He was like a dark, thin blade, his grief so sharp she feared she'd cut herself if she reached out to him." Another: "The pewter veil hovering over the Thames crept up the lane, seeping into doorways, slithering along rooftops, and clutching at her neck with cold, slimy fingers." Can't you just feel this as you read it!
February 1, 2020
*** I received an advanced e-copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
This book is set in the early 1920's. London.....Bermondsey to be exact. It is based on the true story of the Bermondsey Bookshop... a place where where anyone from dock workers to factory workers on up can come learn to read, buy books, listen to lectures, and learn all sorts of things. It is here that young Kate Goss gets her start in life. Kate's mother died when she was a young child and then her father abandoned her. She spent her life living with an aunt and family who despised her and treated her cruelly. She had to quit school to go work at the tin factory and then after a particularly bad argument she was forced to leave her aunt's house and find a new place to live. In order to survive she had to work multiple jobs, and one of those was cleaning the Bermondsey Bookshop. It is there that Kate's story truly begins.
I loved this book. The author did such a good job with the descriptions that I felt as if I was actually there watching it all unfold. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction, or even just loves books about bookshops and books.
This book is set in the early 1920's. London.....Bermondsey to be exact. It is based on the true story of the Bermondsey Bookshop... a place where where anyone from dock workers to factory workers on up can come learn to read, buy books, listen to lectures, and learn all sorts of things. It is here that young Kate Goss gets her start in life. Kate's mother died when she was a young child and then her father abandoned her. She spent her life living with an aunt and family who despised her and treated her cruelly. She had to quit school to go work at the tin factory and then after a particularly bad argument she was forced to leave her aunt's house and find a new place to live. In order to survive she had to work multiple jobs, and one of those was cleaning the Bermondsey Bookshop. It is there that Kate's story truly begins.
I loved this book. The author did such a good job with the descriptions that I felt as if I was actually there watching it all unfold. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction, or even just loves books about bookshops and books.
July 16, 2020
How disappointing the a book with a bookshop name as the title has very little to do with the shop or with books! Although The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson was not really about the bookshop, I did appreciate the introduction and enjoyed learning about the bookshop through some research. Kate learning to use her voice not only for herself but also to help others is the strength of the book even when the story takes a decidedly melodramatic turn.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020...
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020...
Reviewed for NetGalley.
August 14, 2021
Such a enjoyable story with the backdrop of the real history of the Bermondsey Bookshop in London…the characters have charm of Eliza Doolittle and the fortitude of a Holmes investigation…I listened to the Audiobook and the narrator took you to East Lane London. Highly recommend!
May 23, 2020
Cute, sweet, fast paced , story. Light lit, but I liked it.
February 26, 2025
I LOVED this book. I don’t often delve into books that are based in earlier centuries. I’m more of a fantasy reader. But this book was so so good. I love the FMC Kate. She has such a hard upbringing and people around her that try to tear her down. But she still manages to be such a strong, support person. She works hard at everything she does. I had moments of NOOOO and YAYYYY. I would definitely recommend to historical romance fans.
August 21, 2025
O romance simples e sem grandes ambições.
Um filme de domingo à tarde, entretém mas não fica na memória.
Um filme de domingo à tarde, entretém mas não fica na memória.
January 14, 2025
3.5 stars
This was a decent listen for a freebie Audible! Somewhat predictable but enjoyed and easy to listen to.
This was a decent listen for a freebie Audible! Somewhat predictable but enjoyed and easy to listen to.
May 26, 2021
I found this an interesting read and I really enjoyed discussing it in my book club. The plot was both interesting and sad. What drew me to pick the book was the fact that the title had "bookshop" in it, but the story is much more than just about a bookshop. It is about a strong young woman, Kate, coming into her own and uncovering the truth about her family and her past. I found this a very intriguing book, it had elements of mystery as well as romance. It was just an overall good book. However, the title feels a bit off as whilst the Bermonsey Bookshop was in the background of the story it wasn't central. But then again maybe it was as the bookshop aimed to bridge the gap between the classes and it was through the bookshop that Kate was able to have enough money to live, to reunite with Johnny, meet Martin and Nora and then eventually discover her father and the truths that were hidden. Prehaps the bookshop was more central than I thought as it is possible that without it acting as a bridge Kate's life would not have been the same.
I think that is what this historical fiction is trying to illustrate. How the differences between the classes during the 1920s were severe and that places like the Bermondsey Bookshop came into existence to try and bridge the differences. I truly enjoyed this book.
I think that is what this historical fiction is trying to illustrate. How the differences between the classes during the 1920s were severe and that places like the Bermondsey Bookshop came into existence to try and bridge the differences. I truly enjoyed this book.
December 30, 2020
I admit it, i am a sucker for a book about "bookshops." But, the hook is misleading. The book was trite and had very little to do with a "bookshop." It began with promise, but it felt as though the author didn't have the "write stuff" to follow her original vision and thus pursued all kinds of diversions and literary devices...none of which worked. The book had abandoned children, murder, child neglect, domestic abuse, predictable romance, suicide, and cozy mystery. Oh yes, and a quaint historical bookshop. I am not a fan of writing a review unless I read the entire book. I was tempted to quit several times, but the need to write this kept me turning pages, despite having the sense of how things were going to end up. YUP...exactly what I thought. I do think, that given the beginning of potential, that the author got lost along the way. I wish she had just shelved it for a few months before throwing in too many ingredients. And, why this title? Oh yes, because people like me will read just about anything has "bookshop" in the title.
January 29, 2020
This unusual story reads more like an accounting of daily life than a novel. I appreciated the way that the author delved deeply into difficult topics like class and spousal abuse, weaving them seamlessly into the narrative to highlight lived experiences. The main character, Kate, was charming and wise. She worked her way through challenges into a happy ending that seemed very believable.
That said, I found the pace to be extremely slow. I think that this book could've benefitted from additional editing. Ultimately the book was about twice as long as it needed to be, and the tension in the narrative could've been heightened for a more engrossing read.
*This book was provided to me as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
That said, I found the pace to be extremely slow. I think that this book could've benefitted from additional editing. Ultimately the book was about twice as long as it needed to be, and the tension in the narrative could've been heightened for a more engrossing read.
*This book was provided to me as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
February 16, 2020
Firstly thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. I love this author and have enjoyed all her books. This particular one is based
in 1920s London. It was very cleverly written about Kate Goss and her personal struggles against poverty, hunger and cruel family secrets. It was most enjoyable and I found it quite absorbing how the different characters were woven into Kate’s life and the Bermondsey Bookshop. I felt so sorry for Kate at times and could not believe the hardships she suffered and yet she carried on regardless. Loved it and would recommend for a great read
in 1920s London. It was very cleverly written about Kate Goss and her personal struggles against poverty, hunger and cruel family secrets. It was most enjoyable and I found it quite absorbing how the different characters were woven into Kate’s life and the Bermondsey Bookshop. I felt so sorry for Kate at times and could not believe the hardships she suffered and yet she carried on regardless. Loved it and would recommend for a great read
April 16, 2020
I liked this book though found it could’ve been 2 separate books in the same series.
Halfway through I thought it was about to be resolved and then there was a twist.
Would recommend for historical fiction fans
Halfway through I thought it was about to be resolved and then there was a twist.
Would recommend for historical fiction fans
May 18, 2020
Excellent novel with amazing detail and description. LOVED IT!
January 25, 2021
Good pick Rachel, thanks for lending. Such a good read . A tale of perseverance, the underdog prevails. The underdog gets pushed back down and how the underdog relies on her own talents.
January 7, 2022
Always enjoy a historical fiction which makes the time and place come to life. A lovely read
July 12, 2020
A novel set in part in a bookshop will always attract me, and this bookshop is not a fictional idea but an actual establement run on the very best principles of opportunity and encouragement to all. Moreover, Kate is a young woman with many gifts, but so many circumstances are against her that the book is a document of survival, and a fascinating story of a life. Set mainly in the streets of Bermondsey, this novel is set in the early 1920s in the poorer part of London with excursions into the more expensive areas for a girl who has an obsession with finding her father. It is a big book with so much research and inventive plotting that it is an engaging read. Kate is an interesting character with her determination and frequent changes of mind, her loyalty and love for those who try to help her. The real, non fictional person in this novel is Ethel Gutman who started the bookshop in 1921, with the stated aim “To bring books and the love of books into Bermondsey” by enabling all members to buy books by small installments. Gutman also organises lectures and classes which are free to attend, and it is while working here that Kate meets many people who will influence and change her life. I found this an interesting and well written book with a memorable set of characters and a unique setting.
The book opens with the appalling treatment of Kate in her Aunt Sylvie’s house, where she has grown up with the story of her mother’s accidental death and her father’s depositing of her until he could make his fortune. Kate is set to work in a tin works, despite the dangers from hot tin and metal fever from the fumes. She proves to be a talented and considerate worker. When she is thrown out of the house for fighting back, she is forced to find additional employment in order to continue renting her garret from which her mother fell. She finds employment in the bookshop and is encouraged by the people who go there, including a clever young artist. She impresses everyone with her resilience and intelligence, including the women who volunteer to help with the mission of the shop. When she meets an old school friend they decide that they have both changed over the years. Bermondsey, however, is not a safe place, and there are those who wish her ill. When she first meets the beautiful and cold Nora, she is struck by her fragility, and wants to discover more about the beautiful young woman.
As the book proceeds, the challenges Kate must meet are huge, and there are choices she must make. Her compassion and determination transform her life and the lives of those around her. There is a love of learning which is at the heart of Kate’s story and at least one of the other characters has their life changed by the opportunities presented by the bookshop. This is a well written saga with a good plot, credible characters and a well drawn setting. It is to be recommended to all saga fans.
The book opens with the appalling treatment of Kate in her Aunt Sylvie’s house, where she has grown up with the story of her mother’s accidental death and her father’s depositing of her until he could make his fortune. Kate is set to work in a tin works, despite the dangers from hot tin and metal fever from the fumes. She proves to be a talented and considerate worker. When she is thrown out of the house for fighting back, she is forced to find additional employment in order to continue renting her garret from which her mother fell. She finds employment in the bookshop and is encouraged by the people who go there, including a clever young artist. She impresses everyone with her resilience and intelligence, including the women who volunteer to help with the mission of the shop. When she meets an old school friend they decide that they have both changed over the years. Bermondsey, however, is not a safe place, and there are those who wish her ill. When she first meets the beautiful and cold Nora, she is struck by her fragility, and wants to discover more about the beautiful young woman.
As the book proceeds, the challenges Kate must meet are huge, and there are choices she must make. Her compassion and determination transform her life and the lives of those around her. There is a love of learning which is at the heart of Kate’s story and at least one of the other characters has their life changed by the opportunities presented by the bookshop. This is a well written saga with a good plot, credible characters and a well drawn setting. It is to be recommended to all saga fans.
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