Summary
‘An extraordinary story.’ Shaun Bythell, The Diary of a Bookseller
Ruth Shaw weaves together stories of the characters who visit her bookshops, musings about favourite books, and bittersweet stories from her full and varied life.
She’s sailed through the Pacific for years, been held up by pirates, worked at Sydney’s Kings Cross with drug addicts and prostitutes, campaigned on numerous environmental issues, and worked the yacht Breaksea Girl with her husband, …
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781988547756 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 198854775X |
| Author: | Ruth Shaw |
| Publisher: | Allen Unwin |
| Imprint: | Allen & Unwin Aotearoa New Zealand |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 320 |
| Release Date: | 1 April 2022 |
| Weight: | 470g |
| Dimensions: | 30mm x 146mm x 225mm |
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Critics Review
‘An extraordinary story.’ Shaun Bythell, The Diary of a Bookseller
‘A fascinating, funny and moving story.’ Nicky Pellegrino, NZ Woman’s Weekly
‘Shaw can write about these peaks and troughs [of her life] without a skerrick of maudlin introspection or mawkishness. Battered and emotionally bruised, she marches on. In a word, dauntless, and it’s exactly this quality that makes this memoir so readable.’ Chris Moore, NZ Listener
‘Utterly charming and filled with equal measures of heartbreak and humour, Ruth Shaw’s memoir will have you booking the first flight to New Zealand to share a cup of tea at her Wee Bookshops. Shaw has been a cook, a nurse, sailor and world traveller, and endured
immeasurable loss. But with Lance, the love of her life, Shaw has found her place bookselling in Fiordland.’ Booksellers’ Choice Australia
‘Shaw’s writing is pragmatic and restrained; her voice is so strong and assured that when grief appears you gasp at its intrusion and your heart stops a second.’ Alexa Dretzke, Readings Hawthorn
‘Amazing!’ Jack Tame, Newstalk ZB
‘Compelling. Shaw tells her own story free of oversentimentality or self-pity; she’s straightforward, frequently humorous, but, understandably, sometimes guarded and reluctant to overshare. Her resilience, optimism and willingness to always help others is to be admired; her remarkable story is to be read and reflected upon as it adds another vital perspective to a New Zealand life.’ Dionne Christian, Sunday Star Times
Ruth Shaw
Ruth Shaw runs a cluster of wee bookshops in remote Manapōuri in the far south of New Zealand. She lives with her husband, Lance.
In 2022 she published her first memoir, The Bookseller at the End of the World, which has since become a critically acclaimed national and international treasure. It has been translated into Italian, Dutch, German, Turkish, Chinese, Swedish, Russian, Slovakian, Korean, Spanish and Arabic.
Her second book Bookshop Dogs came out in October 2023, and instantly became a NZ bestseller. The second part of her memoir Three Wee Bookshops at the End of the World is published in 2025.
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