Emma's Review: The Vintage Shop of Second Chances by Libby Page

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

Among the cobbled streets of the Somerset town of Frome, Lou is embarking on the start of something new. After the death of her beloved mother, she takes a deep breath into the unknown and is opening her own vintage clothes shop.

In upstate New York, Donna has just found out some news about her family which has called into question her whole upbringing. The only clue she has to unlock her past is a picture of a yellow dress, and the fact it is currently on display in a shop in England.

For Maggy, she is facing life as a 70-something divorcee and while she got the house, she's not sure what to fill it with now her family have moved out. The new vintage shop in town sparks memories of her past and reignites a passion she's been missing...

Together, can these three women find the answers they are searching for and unlock a second chance at a new life?

It's never too late to start again...

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Books Read: The Island Home by Libby Page

Lorna's world is small but safe.

She loves her daughter, and the two of them is all that matters. But after nearly twenty years, she and Ella are suddenly leaving London for the Isle of Kip, the tiny remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up.

Alice's world is tiny but full.

She loves the community on Kip, her yoga classes drawing women across the tiny island together. Now Lorna's arrival might help their family finally mend itself - even if forgiveness means returning to the past...

So with two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime's worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again?

Book Links: Kindle or Hardcover

Emma's Review: The 24-Hour Cafe by Libby Page

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Welcome to the café that never sleeps.

Day and night, Stella's Café opens its doors to the lonely and the lost, the morning people and the night owls. It's a place where everyone is always welcome, where life can wait at the door.

Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They love working at Stella's - the different people they meet, the small kindnesses exchanged. But is it time to step outside and make their own way in life?

Come inside and spend twenty-four hours at Stella's Café, where one day might just be enough to change your life . . .

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Salisbury Literary Festival: Q&A with Libby Page

As I've had such a great response from authors I'm delighted to be hosting a second author Q&A this week as part of my Salisbury Literature Festival features.  So today it's my pleasure to welcome Libby Page to talk about her debut novel The Lido which Emma reviewed earlier in the Summer here, her writing and of course her event at the festival. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey? 
I have always wanted to be an author. When I was little I was always writing stories and poems. As I got a bit older I realised that becoming an author isn’t always straight-forward, so I decided to study journalism at university. I still wanted to write but thought journalism might be more of a steady career. After graduating I worked for a year as a journalist at the Guardian but found that writing as a job every day meant I had no time or headspace left to write creatively, which has always been my main passion.

I decided to leave journalism and worked for the next couple of years in marketing. The move worked for me – I found that I suddenly had more motivation to write in my free time and that’s when I started writing The Lido. It took me a year to write, fitting it around my full-time job, and then another year to find an agent and get my publishing deal. 

If you had to give an elevator pitch for your debut novel The Lido, what would it be? 
The Lido is a story about the unlikely friendship between 86-year-old Rosemary and 26-year-old Kate as they come together to try to save their local lido from closure. It’s about community, friendship and will hopefully leave you feeling uplifted and ready for a swim! 

Where did the inspiration for The Lido come from?  
I first moved to London from a small town when I was 18. At first I found it very overwhelming – I was used to saying ‘hello’ to people in the street. In my second year of university I lived in Brixton, in South London, where the Lido is set. It was in Brixton that I found a real sense of community that made me really fall in love with the city. But I noticed it was a community that was under threat, with big chains moving in and pushing out small businesses and community spaces. It made me think about how much we lose when we lose those spaces where people of all backgrounds come together. I am a keen outdoor swimmer so to me the beautiful lido in Brockwell Park seemed the perfect place to set the novel and be able to talk about this issue of community and its importance. 

The Lido has created such a buzz since it was first published in April, what is it do you think that has drawn people to this book and given them such a good feeling while reading it ?
The book centers around normal people who are trying to fight for something they truly care about. I think this is something a lot of people can relate to. And in a time when news headlines are so dominated by bad news, I think people are probably seeking out positive stories as an antidote. The feelgood nature of the book is certainly something readers comment on, which makes me very happy – it’s a wonderful feeling to feel like you’re able to make someone feel uplifted. 

Emma's Review: The Lido by Libby Page

Reviewed by Emma Crowley

Meet Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26: dreamers, campaigners, outdoor swimmers...

Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George.

Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She's on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it.

So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim - it is the heart of the community.

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