One of our recommended books for 2019 is The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

THE SECRETS OF PAPER AND INK


Brought together by a charming bookstore in England, three women fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives. 

As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn’t dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature.

more …

Brought together by a charming bookstore in England, three women fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives. 

As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn’t dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature.

Bookstore owner Ginny Rose is desperate to save her business without asking for help from a husband who’s decided to take a break from their marriage. Ginny never imagined she’d be solely responsible for keeping afloat her husband’s dream, but the unexpected friendship with her new renter has her feeling more optimistic. Between the two of them—and Ginny’s brother-in-law, William—the bookstore might stand a chance.

Then Sophia finds a notebook in the bookstore that contains journal entries from Emily Fairfax, a governess who lived in Cornwall more than 150 years ago. Sophia learns that Emily harbored a secret passion for becoming an authoress—as well as a deep love for her childhood friend, Edward, whose station she dared not dream to touch.

Eager to know more of Emily’s story, Sophia goes on a quest—dragging Ginny and William with her—to discover the heart of the woman behind the beautiful entries. Soon Ginny’s need to save the bookstore becomes more than a way to save her marriage, and Sophia finds new purpose of her own. Together they find that sometimes both heartache and hope can reach across the centuries.

less …
  • Thomas Nelson
  • Paperback
  • February 2019
  • 336 Pages
  • 9780718075729

Buy the Book

$15.99

Bookshop.org indies Bookstore

About Lindsay Harrel

Lindsay Harrel is the author of the novel The Secrets of Paper and InkLindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time.

Author Website

Praise

“[T]his book interlaces the voices and time periods of the women as they rotate narrating chapters, creating an engaging story perfect for readers who enjoy strong women of faith, budding romantic relationships, and historical and contemporary English settings.” –Booklist

“Harrel delivers a wonderfully unexpected and skillfully executed adventure of love, loss, and healing. The ebb and flow of perspectives … mesmerizes and captivates.” –Hope by the Book

“[T]his is a charming story of female strength, friendship, and forgiveness.” –The Historical Novel Society

“In a delightful weaving of past and present, Lindsay Harrel creates authentic characters around a moving story that both inspires and encourages.”  Heidi Chiavaroli, Carol award-winning author of Freedom’s Ring and The Hidden Side

“In The Secrets of Paper and Ink, Lindsay Harrel explores the power of love – and how it influences us to make choices that bless others, as well as ourselves.” –Beth K. Vogt, Christy award-winning author