Larkin on the Shore

After surviving a difficult year in high school, Larkin goes to spend the summer with her grandmother in Nova Scotia. There she hopes to escape memories of a traumatic experience and begin the arduous process of rebuilding her life and her trust in others.

Her grandmother is trying to build a café with a reading room to supplement the town’s lack of a public library. Larkin’s job is to organize donated books and eventually shelve them. Even this small task seems overwhelming at first. Right when things seem to be getting back on track, an arsonist strikes the place she has come to love.

It’s clear that the fire was set by someone she knows, so who is Larkin to trust? This book is a look into small-town social dynamics, losing trust in others and yourself, and the healing power of love.

I enjoyed this book because it is beautifully written and deeply emotional. The author does a wonderful job of making Larkin’s pain almost tangible. She also gives the reader hope that any pain can be endured and conquered, given time.