Friday, July 24, 2015

Review: Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

Goodnight June by Sarah Jio 
Published May 27th 2014 by Plume
The New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter imagines the inspiration for Goodnight Moon.

Goodnight Moon is an adored childhood classic, but its real origins are lost to history. In Goodnight June, Sarah Jio offers a suspenseful and heartfelt take on how the "great green room" might have come to be.

June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown—and steps into the pages of American literature.

My Thoughts
Goodnight June by Sarah Jio is one of those rare finds that surprisingly captures your heart for all the right reasons. I loved this steadily paced story about redefining who you are, falling in love and finding forgiveness.

In this wonderful story, we get to meet the very successful banker June Anderson who sets off to her hometown in Seattle when she hears that her great-aunt Ruby passed away and left her as the sole beneficiary of her beloved bookstore Bluebird Books. When June arrives at the shop, her intention is to prepare the bookstore for sale, so she can immediately return to her New York apartment and fast living. However, as June begins to uncover small treasures in the form of letter between her great-aunt Ruby and the author of Goodnight Moon, she realizes there’s more to life than her high powered position that leaves her empty inside.

I loved this story that was loosely tied to the creation of the children’s book Goodnight Moon. It’s a book I’ve enjoyed reading to my little ones countless times. Having owned more than one copy because I’ve read it over and over again only added to my emotional tie to the story.

I truly enjoyed watching June’s transition from stressed out banker to committed independent bookstore owner. I rooted her efforts in trying to keep the bookstore afloat and seeing how much I love and support independent bookstore; I was moved by how passionate June’s mission was to save the bookstore.

Added to that, I loved the secondary plotlines between her and her sister, as well as the small twist that occurred at the end of the story.

Goodnight June is a wonderful story that is filled with noble characters, intriguing backstories and relatable conflicts that fans of adult contemporary will surely enjoy!
4 Suns

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