Book Review of The Little Penguin Bookshop and A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye

After a recent visit to a few Battle of Britain themed museums, I came across The Little Penguin Bookshop by Joanna Toye in a local charity shop. The blurb suggested that the twin brother of the main character, Carrie, was a World War Two pilot, on top of Carrie setting up a small Penguin bookshop on the platform of her town’s train station caught me instantly. I was definitely not leaving the charity shop without this book.

The Little Penguin Bookshop

As much as the blurb pulled me in straight away, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. It is full of warmth, likeable characters, friendship and most importantly of all for me, escapism. There is also a romance between Carrie and Mike, which showcases how people from different places and backgrounds were brought together by the war. Of course, this is a work of fiction so there is no doubt a sense of rose tinted glasses in this to some extent. I really didn’t care about this as when I was reading it, I needed a bit of that. However, the stress and tension of having loved ones away fighting, including the mental toll on those actually doing the fighting is made clear.

The style in which this book in written is easy to follow and very engaging. For me, this was only encouraged by the way all of the characters interacted with each other. It often felt as though the reader was a part of this large and eclectic friendship group that was being formed around the train station in its hour of need. From those working in the tea rooms, to Penny the station porter, now working there instead of a male counterpart, through to those connected to the Penguin Bookshop. The author has done very well to create a whole world around these characters that still does feel real and relatable. You feel, as a reader, all of the emotions that the characters are feeling and the situations they are experiencing.

This is a really lovely book that certainly brings a lot of emotional investment on behalf of the reader. Perhaps one of the most important underlying themes is that books can change your whole world and bring people together when they need it the most. For this reason, it felt very apt that I was at a point where I needed that, just as much as the characters in the book and even Carrie’s bookstall customers too.

The only thing I found with this first book was that the ending felt a bit sudden. It certainly did leave the reader questioning what had happened to Mike, Carrie’s fiancé, as it was a bit of a cliff hanger. However, before I was anywhere near that point of the book, I had already ordered the sequel, A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop. With that in mind, I was able to pick the second book straight after finishing the first, so there was no gap in between for me. I can see otherwise this might be a bit of an issue for other readers. Even if I had have had to wait to find out what happened, I personally think it wouldn’t have spoilt my love and appreciation for this book, Carrie, and the little world Toye has managed to create surrounding the little railway station set in World War Two England.

A New Chapter at the Little Penguin Bookshop

The sequel starts where the first book finished off and is full of all the good things I have mentioned that are contained in the first book.

This time though, there is the worry of what’s happened to Mike, as well as Carrie’s twin brother, Johnnie, being injured whilst serving as an RAF pilot. Just as with the first book, I was engrossed from the minute I started reading and it felt like such a special experience being able to start this book straight after finishing the first. It felt like having a catch up with friends. This was just as hard to put down as the first because the more you became emotionally invested in the story, the more you felt you needed to know what was happening for everyone.

Whilst the topics of this sequel do seem to be full of more sadness, the addition of humour, spirit, hope and community do tend to follow through when needed. This makes the sadness, whilst of course part of the reader’s journey with the characters involved necessary, a little bit easier to bear. The friendships between the characters also helped with this as they seemed genuine and believable. I’m sure there were friendships in there that we could all relate to in one way or another.

I have read elsewhere that sadly the planned third and final instalment of this series will now no longer be going ahead, which I am incredibly sad about. Both of these two books had been written with the potential to finish of all of the characters’ stories in a third instalment. Despite that sadness, I am so very glad I came across the first book in a charity shop, otherwise I would have entirely missed out on this wonderful heart-warming, friendship and love based couple of books. They brought a relaxed reading style that was easy to follow, a personal connection encouraged in the reader, and a good old bit of escapism just when I needed it!

In general then, I have never read any of Joanna Toye’s other historical novels and after this experience, if I do come across any others, I would certainly read those too. In terms of the two Penguin Bookshop books I’ve reviewed here, I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone who just needs a good heart warming reading experience. You certainly wouldn’t regret reading either of these books, for in them you’ll find a reader’s delight!