BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKEN HEARTED

It is 1968 in rural Australia and lonely Tom Hope can't make heads or tails of Hannah Babel. Newly arrived from Hungary, Hannah is unlike anyone he's ever met - passionate, brilliant and fiercely determined to open sleepy Hometown's first bookshop. Despite the fact that Tom has read only one book in his life, when Hannah hires him to install shelving for the shop, the two discover an astonishing spark. Recently abandoned by his wife and still missing her sweet son Peter, Tom dares to believe that he might make Hannah happy. But Hannah is a haunted woman. 24 years earlier, she had been marched to the gates of Auschwitz. With beautifully rendered characters, the novel reminds us of the redemptive power of sharing our stories. Uplifting and true, get the Kleenex handy. 293pp.