Diary Of A Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati

Book Review Nov 03, 2022

My review

2/5 stars

I was totally drawn in by the title alone on this book. It falls right into my sweet spot of a book about books. I had no expectations other than knowing that it would be up my alley, but I was left disappointed.

I really struggled with the writing style throughout this book. It felt less like a diary and more like a brain dump of the author's thought-cycle. There seemed to be no real structure to what was being written, which meant that I wasn't able to fully connect to any of the people mentioned or with the shop itself. At times it felt like a memoir, then jumped to a short essay on the author's inspiration and intention with her shop, the moved again into a somewhat banal commentary on what was happening around her on any given day. This was not helped by the lack of formatting in the unedited proof copy that I was reading, as several of the day markers were missing, making it hard to determine when a new day had started - the only giveaway over time was that each day seemed to end with a summary of orders.

What I did enjoy about the book was the author's clear passion for the written word. It is evident in how she writes that she uses the words of others to help herself make sense of the world. She obviously has many friends in the literary world and it was lovely to see someone make books their way of life, not just a hobby or a career.

I also appreciated how well she switched between light and dark. On some days she wrote about something as simple and transient as the flowers that were growing in her garden. On other days she wrote about her complicated relationship with her parents, or how her village was handling the Covid pandemic, or the meaning of life and death. The switch between the two felt effortless and helped keep the book feeling somewhat dynamic in its content.

A clear passion-project for the author, but not for me.

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book blurb

HOW A BOOKSELLER INSPIRED A NATION
The diary of a publicist-turned bookseller who left Florence to open a tiny bookshop on a Tuscan hill.

'A work of significant beauty... Inspiring about the continuing life of books, and about the ways in which our lives can change and our dreams can come true, if only we insist on believing in changes and dreams'
Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours

'Romano, I'd like to open a bookshop where I live.'
'Right. How many people are we talking about?'
'A hundred and eighty.'
'Right, so if a hundred and eighty thousand people live there, then . . .'
'No, not hundred and eighty thousand, Romano. Just a hundred and eighty.'
'Alba . . . Have you lost your mind?'
Conversation between Alba Donati and Romano Montroni, founder of Italy's largest bookselling chain

Alba used to live a hectic life, working as a book publicist in Florence - a life that made her happy and led her to meet prominent international authors. And yet, she always felt like she was a woman on the run.

And so one day she decides to stop running and go back to Lucignana, the small village on the Tuscan hills where she was born, to open a tiny bookshop.

With a total of only 180 residents, Alba's enterprise in Lucignana seems doomed from day one but it surprisingly sparks the enthusiasm of many across Tuscany - and beyond. After surviving a fire and the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the 'Bookshop on the Hill' soon becomes a refuge and beacon for an ever-growing community of people: readers who come to visit from afar, safe in the knowledge that Alba will be able to find the perfect book for them.

A tale of resilience and entrepreneurship and a celebration of booksellers everywhere: the real (and often unsung) heroes of the publishing world.