Book Review | Of Literature and Lattes | By Katherine Reay

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

Of Literature and Lattes is a follow up book to the Printed Letter Bookshop. If you’re interested in reading this one, I recommend reading the first book in order to fully understand how far each character has come.

The narrative is more about self reflection and philosophies of life. This is not a surprise if you are already familiar with The Printed Letter Bookshop ( review). The way the book shifts from each character while narrating the story and still make us care for each of them is just heart warming.

The plot is not exactly a strong suit of the book. This book is more character driven. It is about the community and the people coming together in this cozy little town. That is so relevant in the current times because we might be physically distancing ourselves but this is no time for socially isolating anyone.

Characters and Conflicts

Alyssa and Jeremy are our main characters. One hits the rock bottom and the other dreams of a better life, at the beginning of the book and that’s when they choose Winsome. Alyssa with her career blown takes a step back and comes to her hometown. Jeremy wants to build a relationship with his daughter and run his own coffee shop. Only, what we think might not be the rock bottom – it could be better or worse. What matters is how we move forward. Perhaps that is my biggest takeaway from this book. Particularly Janet, and how she has come out of her own bitterness.

Personally, I have a strong relationship with my mother but it is not always glossy and pretty.  On that level, I could deeply relate to the mother-daughter relationship in the book. While the romance was there, other relationships were given equal importance. Friendship and kinship aside, the book once again throws in the theme of spirituality and how one can actually find courage from it. And last but not the least, there are book talks. In The Printed Letter Bookshop review, I mentioned the possibility of a book club and the idea being rotated in the second book made me genuinely happy.

Conclusion

Literature and Lattes – the book has both in abundance. This is again a book that celebrates the good in humanity and just nudges us to forgive ourselves for all those burdens we carry within and become a better version of ourselves. On that note, I think everyone  who thinks on those lines should read this book.

About the Author

Disclosure :  1) I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   
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