Alice Hoffman’s fourth installment in her Once Upon a Time Bookshop series, The Bookstore Family, transports readers from the cozy confines of Brinkley’s Island, Maine to the romantic streets of Paris and back again. In this poignant novella, Hoffman continues her exploration of family ties, the healing power of books, and the courage it takes to follow—and sometimes redefine—our dreams.
Like its predecessors in the series (The Bookstore Sisters, The Bookstore Wedding, and The Bookstore Keepers), this latest addition delivers Hoffman’s signature blend of lyrical prose and emotional depth. However, while the novella captures the bittersweet essence of love and loss that fans have come to expect, it occasionally falls short of the magical heights reached by earlier entries in the series.
The Story: Between Two Islands
The Bookstore Family follows Violet, a talented but emotionally reserved pastry chef who left behind her family’s bookstore on Brinkley’s Island to pursue culinary dreams in Paris. Five years into her Parisian adventure, Violet has achieved professional success but remains disconnected from her surroundings—an outsider in a city renowned for romance and connection.
Violet lives near the Rue Chaptal, stopping each morning for coffee at the Rose Bakery in the Museum of Romantic Life—an ironic choice for someone who considers her own life “anything but romantic” and for whom “love was the last thing on her mind.” Despite her talents as a pastry chef at the well-regarded Maison Blanc restaurant, she feels perpetually alone, unable to reproduce the warmth and heart found in the Rose Bakery’s delicious offerings.
When her aunt Isabel visits from Maine, she immediately senses Violet’s discontent. “Are you happy?” Isabel asks, echoing a question previously posed by Violet’s mother. Violet’s response—”Happiness is for idiots”—reveals the protective shell she’s built around herself, a defense mechanism stemming from early loss.
The novella takes a significant turn when Violet meets Remy, a pâtissier at the Rose Bakery who shares her love of children’s books and whose desserts contain the heart that Violet’s technically perfect creations lack. Just as this connection begins to blossom, Violet receives devastating news: her mother Sophie’s cancer has returned, and she has limited time left.
Returning to Maine, Violet reconnects with her family and faces the impending loss while slowly opening her heart to the possibility of love through letters exchanged with Remy. The story culminates in a moving reconciliation between Violet’s past and future as she embraces both her island roots and the love she had been too afraid to accept.
Strengths: Hoffman’s Literary Ingredients
Rich Thematic Exploration
One of Hoffman’s greatest strengths is her ability to weave complex themes into seemingly simple narratives. In The Bookstore Family, she skillfully explores:
- The transformative power of literature: Isabel’s suggestion that Violet read “Half Magic” to reconnect with her younger self proves to be a turning point. “Every time a book is reread it’s entirely different depending on who the reader has become,” Hoffman writes, highlighting how literature can help us reconnect with forgotten parts of ourselves.
- The tension between escape and belonging: Violet’s journey from Maine to Paris and back again mirrors the emotional journey many take—seeking ourselves elsewhere only to find what we need was often at home.
- The inheritance of loss: Violet carries “the broken heart of a woman who’d lost someone early on—in her case, the father she’d never known, drowned during a storm at sea.” This unresolved grief shapes her relationships and her ability to connect.
Sensory-Rich Prose
Hoffman excels at creating vivid sensory experiences, particularly when describing food. The “fragrant cookies dipped in chocolate, sponge cakes with spun sugar icing, tarts with rose-red fillings of raspberry and apple” from the Rose Bakery come alive on the page. Similarly, the descriptions of Violet’s baking—both in Paris and on the island—engage all the senses and become metaphors for her emotional journey.
Continuity Within the Series
For readers of the previous novellas in the Once Upon a Time Bookshop series, The Bookstore Family offers satisfying continuity. We see beloved characters like Isabel and her husband Johnny in their established roles, and references to events from earlier books create a sense of a living, breathing community on Brinkley’s Island.
Weaknesses: Missing Ingredients
Limited Development of Supporting Characters
While Violet’s character arc is well-developed, secondary characters occasionally feel thinly sketched. Remy, in particular, seems more symbol than fully realized character—a representation of the connection Violet needs rather than a complex person in his own right. Though charming in his interactions with Violet, his personality remains somewhat one-dimensional.
Predictable Plot Movements
The narrative follows a relatively predictable path without many surprising turns. For readers familiar with Hoffman’s work, particularly the earlier entries in this series, the trajectory of Violet’s journey may feel somewhat formulaic—the prodigal daughter returns, reconnects with family, and finds love.
Rushed Romance
The romance between Violet and Remy, while sweet, develops primarily through brief meetings and exchanged letters. Their connection, while meaningful, doesn’t receive enough page time to feel fully earned by the story’s conclusion when Remy arrives on the island declaring, “Let’s not wait any longer.”
Series Context: The Once Upon a Time Bookshop Stories
The Bookstore Family builds upon the foundation laid by the earlier novellas in the series:
- The Bookstore Sisters (2022) introduced readers to Sophie and Isabel, sisters who reunite to save their family bookstore after years of estrangement.
- The Bookstore Wedding (2024) focused on a love story set against the backdrop of the bookstore, expanding the community of Brinkley’s Island.
- The Bookstore Keepers (2025) explored the intergenerational aspects of the bookstore’s legacy as new challenges faced the family business.
Each novella stands alone but gains resonance when read as part of the larger tapestry Hoffman has created, centered around the healing power of books and the magnetic pull of home.
Hoffman’s Literary Signature
For longtime Hoffman readers, The Bookstore Family contains all the hallmarks of her distinctive style:
- Magical undertones in everyday settings: While less overtly magical than novels like Practical Magic or The Rules of Magic, this novella still contains moments where everyday reality feels tinged with something extraordinary.
- Women navigating loss and love: Like so many of Hoffman’s protagonists, Violet must confront grief to open herself to love.
- Food as emotional expression: Similar to The Museum of Extraordinary Things or The Dovekeepers, Hoffman uses cooking and food preparation as extensions of characters’ emotional lives.
- Books as salvation: As in The Library of Light and Shadow, literature serves as both refuge and pathway to self-discovery.
Final Assessment: A Bittersweet Confection
The Bookstore Family is, appropriately, like one of Violet’s Parisian desserts—technically accomplished and pleasing, though occasionally missing the indefinable warmth found in her grandmother’s recipes. The novella delivers a satisfying reading experience with moments of genuine emotional resonance, particularly in the scenes between Violet and her dying mother Sophie.
In one particularly moving passage, Sophie tells Violet, “There is nothing like your first love… He’ll always be the love of my life. After all, he’s the reason I have you.” This poignant acknowledgment of how past loves shape our present lives encapsulates the novella’s themes of love, loss, and continuity.
While not Hoffman’s most groundbreaking work, The Bookstore Family offers a comforting return to the world she has lovingly created on Brinkley’s Island. It reminds us that sometimes finding ourselves requires both leaving home and returning to it, and that the stories we love as children continue to shape us throughout our lives.
For readers seeking a quick but emotionally resonant read, particularly those who have followed the Once Upon a Time Bookshop series from the beginning, Violet’s journey between islands—both geographical and emotional—provides a satisfying continuation of Hoffman’s exploration of family, books, and the courage to open oneself to love despite the inevitable losses that come with it.
