Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop

 

Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop / Alba Donati
trans. from the Italian by Elena Pala
New York : Scribner, 2023, ©2022.
194 p.

This charming memoir will appeal to booklovers who might also dream of opening a tiny bookshop in the middle of nowhere -- and having it actually become a success! 

Alba Donati worked in the publishing business in Milan, but decided to move back to the tiny Tuscan village of Lucignana (pop. 180) where she was born. She builds a tiny bookshop on a hill, stocking it only with the books she loves. And plenty of lovely additions, like local jams, calendars and literary stockings, too.

The bookshop becomes a success, drawing people from many nearby regions. This book is structured in diary entries, relating everyday events from small to dramatic, like a fire in the shop. Each entry ends with a list of the daily orders, a great way to find out what her customers are reading (and build your own TBR as well!) 

But even though there is a lot of charm just in the descriptions of the bookshop and its gardens, and of course in Donati's talk of all the books and bookish customers involved, there is also deep reflection on Lucignana itself, and all her family ties in the village. There is history, biography, and self-reflection mixed in to this escapist dream, showing that it's not easy, but returning to her home village and creating positive change was worth it. 

We finish up with her after a year of hard work and exponential success, with Donati still making plans for more bookish delights -- new titles, writer events, and growth. If you're a booklover and want to live vicariously through Donati's journey to create this destination bookshop in the hills of Italy, you won't want to miss this one.