‘Will captivate fans of historical fiction and romantic tales‘ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Historical fiction
The Lamplighter’s Bookshop
In the shadowy aisles of the Lamplighter’s Bookshop, secrets lie as thick as the dust…
When Evelyn Seaton answers an advertisement for an assistant at a forgotten bookshop in York, she is not the only one with something to hide.
There she meets the enigmatic and prickly William Morton, an aspiring writer keeping secrets of his own. But when the walls that Evelyn has built around herself start to crumble, there is only one person she can turn to.
As the layers are brushed away, can Evelyn and William find the courage to write the next chapter of their story?
Author interview
Want to find out more about the inspiration for the novel? Read the author interview I did with Suffolk Libraries!
Book Club Questions
Are you reading The Lamplighter’s Bookshop as part of your book club? Here are some questions to get you inspired!
1: How does the bookshop in The Lamplighter’s Bookshop connect to the themes of illumination, knowledge, or secrecy?
2: Evelyn’s mother believes she has a duty to help them restore the family name, and position. How do Evelyn’s (and other characters’) personal desires conflict with their sense of duty?
3: Many of the relationships in the novel are shaped by societal expectations, and often conflict with their own, personal longing. Do you think any of the characters ever truly reconcile these two forces?
4: Secrets are central to the story in The Lamplighter’s Bookshop. Do you feel the novel portrays secrecy as explosive, protective, or both? Are they seen as a necessary evil, or something to be avoided at all costs? Do any of the characters have a good reason for keeping their secrets?
5: How do the other characters (Evelyn & William’s friends, families, or acquaintances) complicate or sharpen the central love story between the two of them? Do any characters play more of a role in bringing them together? Which characters play more of a role in keeping them apart?
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sophie austin author 