There is a lot going on in this book. I kept wishing that some things had been cut out as I didn't think that they were terribly critical to the story. But once I finished I realized that each piece was in fact important to the overall story. It would have been nice if some of those pieces flowed better and didn't feel like they drug the book out longer. 
Overall this was a good read. It is difficult to find a book that not only breaks down class structure but then breaks down the barriers between those classes as well.

How disappointing the a book with a bookshop name as the title has very little to do with the shop or with books! Although The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson was not really about the bookshop, I did appreciate the introduction and enjoyed learning about the bookshop through some research. Kate learning to use her voice not only for herself but also to help others is the strength of the book even when the story takes a decidedly melodramatic turn. 

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/01/the-bermondsey-bookshop.html 

Reviewed for NetGalley.

★★★★ 4.5 stars

A book about a bookstore. How could I resist? The smell of old books, new books, all books...and losing oneself to the stories within. Yet THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is not really about a bookshop at all but about one young woman's growth through the strength she finds within that bookshop...and the classes that bring them together.

Kate Goss was just six years old when her mother fell to her death from the garret stairs in which they lived. Her father, overwhelmed with grief, palmed her off to his sister Sylvie to look after until he had made enough money to reclaim her. But that day never came. Instead, Kate grew up with her aunt and her cousins who despised her and tormented her daily. She became their skivvy to cook and clean up after them when really she would rather have dumped their dinner in their laps. When her cousin Stan began to show an unhealthy interest in her, Kate was given the cold confines of the garret for her bedroom. But that didn't stop Stan trying to grope her at every chance.

When Kate turned 14, her Aunt Sylvie dragged her to the local tin factory, Boutle's, who were hiring girls. It was a dirty filthy job but Aunt Sylvie said it was time she "earned her keep" and of the seven shillings sixpence she earned, Sylvie allowed her to keep a shilling for herself...to buy her own clothes and soap, mind. Kate had no idea where the rest of her money went, for it wasn't on her keep. At Boutle's Kate makes a few friends but one particular kindly robust woman called Marge takes her under her wing. There is also Conny, a young girl who replaces Kate with the sweeping and cleaning when she started tinplate bashing.

Kate had been at Boutle's three years when she had an altercation with her cousins and aunt that there would be no turning back from. Her spiteful cousin Janey, three years her senior, made innuendos and untoward comments about Kate's deceased mum...and Kate saw red. She punched Janey square in the nose, breaking it, and did not let up punching her until Aunt Sylvie stabbed her with a knife, drawing it along her arm. The incident saw Sylvie throw Kate and her meagre possessions out with nowhere to go. She tried her Aunt Sarah down the row but she couldn't stay there. She even slept on the boats moored in the river until she was caught. Despite having nowhere to go, Kate vowed she would never return to Sylvie's. Then Aunt Sarah said she had found her a place...but it was ten shillings a week! Three more than she earned at Boutle's. But the room was none other than the garret in which she had lived with her mum and dad all those years ago...and she felt she had come home. Each night she would gaze out the little dormer window down to the Thames and dream of her father coming back to rescue her. That was when she began looking for extra work to take on. And when Marge came across a notice in a window for a cleaner, she was quick to tell Kate about it before the position was snatched up.

In her dinner break, Kate raced up to Bermondsey Street and looked for the brightly coloured building Marge had described to her...and found herself standing outside the Bermondsey Bookshop. A bookshop? In Bermondsey? She went in and met Ethel Gutman, the proprietor, stating that she was here for the job as cleaner. The hours were a little different, Ethel informed her but that didn't matter as it could be worked around her shifts at Boutle's and those as a barmaid down at the Hand and Marigold pub. Ethel said the pay wasn't much but to Kate it was more than she could have imagined and even better than that at Boutle's. And so she began her silent work as a cleaner for the bookshop. Little did she know, the faces that she was to meet within this little shop would change the course of her life forever.

Kate dreamed of a life with her father, one where he would return to reclaim her and they would live happily every after but her aunt Sylvie and cousin Stan tried putting paid to that by telling her he didn't want to see her. Besides, he was now living abroad making his fortune - why would he want to come to Bermondsey? But one morning, Kate catches a glimpse of a familiar figure in a flash car outside the bookshop. It can't be...can it?

Set in 1920s London, THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is a well-crafted story of period fiction, complete with melodrama and a diverse cast of characters - some likable, others definitely not. It features the real Bermondsey Bookshop that was founded by Ethel Gutman in 1921, who also features in this story, and although the book's focus is not the bookshop but rather Kate, it is an important fixture of Kate's story.

THE BERMONDSEY BOOKSHOP is such a heartwarming tale of Kate's strength and determination, her rise from the cockney girl of Bermondsey to the affluence of Belgravia. But Kate soon learns that it's far more than distance that separates Bermondsey and Belgravia and money doesn't necessarily buy you happiness.

My first read by Mary Gibson, I definitely recommend this wonderful historical tale that has an easy style with great flow.

I would like to thank #MaryGibson, #NetGalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC of #TheBermondseyBookshop in exchange for an honest review.

The Bermondsey Bookshop was a real place, but as a book title, it's deceiving, as it's merely the setting for part of the book. (I did appreciate learning about the bookshop and its owner.)

The real story here is about Kate Goss, and she is a vividly painted, engaging character. She is tough, spunky, self-sufficient and resilient, clever, and endearing.  Through her, we get a clear picture of the poverty-stricken working class in London in the 1920s, and how their lives contrast with those in the upper class who she meets working a second job at the Bermondsey Bookshop.

The writing has a lovely flow. The setting is descriptive, the dialogue really cements both the tone and place in time, and the plot is compelling with a few surprising twists. My favorite part, though, was the characters themselves - faceted and intriguing.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is one I can highly recommend.

I liked this book though found it could’ve been 2 separate books in the same series. 

Halfway through I thought it was about to be resolved and then there was a twist.

Would recommend for historical fiction fans

I'm sorry, I didn't finish it. There were actually many good things about it. It has a great flow, and I like the writing. It's clear and involving. And I appreciate the effort the author put into describing the lives of these people in 1920s London. The social comment is poignant and shareable. 
This was the problem for me. The author seemed to be far more interested in describing life at is was, rather than telling a story. Although I could see where the MC might be heading for, I was never sure what the story was about. I patiently waited, but when I came to 30% of the book and I still had no clue, I just stopped caring.

Sometimes you pick up a book with expectations tainted by other feedback and aren't really sure it's going to be a book that speaks to you.  Unfortunately,  I had preconceived notions going into this one which were completely ungrounded.   Fortunately, I realised very quickly that this was, indeed, a book that spoke to me.  The title threw me off a little... I didn't find the bookshop to be the actual focus, but more of a supporting role in the overall tale. 
That being said it intrigued my curiosity on the facts of the actual bookshop this book is based on.  Overall, this was a well-written work of historical fiction with engaging characters, colorful descriptions, and evocative moments.   Excellent!  

My thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson is an intriguing historical novel.  I found it to be well-written that moved along at a thoughtful pace and it has a strong female protagonist.  Kate Goss had a loving mother until she had an accident coming down the steep garret stairs.  Archie Goss, Kate’s father, deposited Kate with his sister, Sylvie and then departed.  Sylvie did not like Kate’s Romany mother, Bessie which she takes out on Kate.  Her cousins, Janey and Stan are just as mean and spiteful.  Kate holds out the hope that her father will return one day and take her away.  Kate is a spirited girl who works hard.  She makes some unfortunate choices, but Kate also makes some memorable friends.  We get to see Kate go from a teenager to an adult.  I could feel Kate’s struggles and her sadness.  Of course, Kate had some unforgettable moments as well.   There were a variety of interesting characters in The Bermondsey Bookshop.  There were some kindhearted souls and some truly terrible people.  I especially liked the various people that frequented the Bermondsey Bookshop.  It was interesting reading about the Bermondsey Bookshop (it was a real place).  It was open for hours that suited the working class and offered a variety of classes (reading, elocution, French, drama) as well as lectures.  After reading this book, I searched out more information on this unique bookshop.  I thought Mary Gibson captured the accents of the people along with their attitudes especially when it came to education and money.  Children were not allowed to enjoy their childhood for long.  They were expected to go to work and turn over their wages.  There is some mild foul language along with violence (parents or relatives hitting children, men beating their wives, men wanting certain “favors”) which was, unfortunately, typical of the time period.  The Bermondsey Bookshop is a book that will have you reading long into the night to find out how Kate’s story ends.  The Bermondsey Bookshop has a sharp tongued shrew, a conniving cousin, a fetid factory, a vanished father, and one feisty female.

Based on a true story, I loved, loved this book set in a bookshop in 1920s London. The life of Kate Goss is a hard one, especially with the loss of her mother and absent father, leaving her at the mercy of a cruel aunt. Her struggle for survival and ultimate redemption through the people she meets at the bookshop is touching and heartbreaking. Recommended reading.

The Bermondsey Bookshop is a story of Kate, an orphan that had lost her mother and her father went away. Now she lives a story of Cinderella with her relatives and is treated like a slave. One event and now she ha to fend for herself on her own and in that kind of time that was rather a crucial situation.
Finally, she finds a job at Bermondsey Bookshop and now she can find her own wa and try to ort her own life and past. Some events will change the way everything was going and some hidden pat elements will emerge.
What will happen when she will try to embrace where she comes from, will her past let her go so she can move on? Also what about certain people from her past?
Overall it was a nice story about discovering what was left in the past and growing to stand on your own.

The Bermomdsey Bookshop is a well-written and really enjoyable book. I wanted to read something with books and bookshops and this was a perfect pick! Both characters and plot are interesting. I really liked it!

Such a good story! I enjoyed the author's depiction of London in the 1920s. The characters were three dimensional and engaging, the good and the bad! The story weaves around Kate's struggles, but she is touch and  adaptable. A character you'd like to be friends with.

A nice, gentle read, with good historical context, and a cast of interesting characters.  It held my interest from beginning to end.

Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

I received a digital ARC via Netgalley through the publisher but all thoughts are my own.

This is the story of a young woman named Kate who has grown up in a small run down town called Bermondsey, at the mercy of her cruel Aunt Sylvie and cousins who have done their best to make her life miserable and treated her as a proverbial physical and emotional punching bag.

Her Aunt forces her to get a job at the young age of fourteen and takes most of her wages, leaving an amount left that she couldn't survive on if she were to attempt to get her own place. A few years later, she is still working at the same place, though has received a bit of a raise. When her cousin said something cruel about her mother who died tragically, she responds back by walloping her a good one and then her Aunt proceeds to stab her with a knife. Shortly after being bandaged up, her Aunt essentially throws her out with barely the clothes on her back and Kate is left scrambling to figure out where to live.

Kate has learned a thing or two while being under the rule of her Aunt and one of those is that she knows she's tough and will find a way to survive even if she has to take multiple jobs. When she happens to land a job at the Bermondsey Bookshop for cleaning, she has no idea at the time of just how much it will change her life and how it just may set her on the path that she's always dreamed of.

She may even have a chance to be reunited with the Father that has been absent a good chunk of her life though her Father isn't quite the loving person that he would have many people believe and there could be a darker meaning behind much of his actions.

This story was quite the adventure and my heart ached for Kate who has been through so much and yet continues to get up to carry on no matter how often she gets knocked down. Life has been far from easy for her but she's determined to make her way in the world and along the way she could very likely meet the love of her life as well as become friends with unexpected people.

I really enjoyed reading about Kate's determination and how she really is a sweetheart who's had some tough hurtles to overcome but hasn't let that turn her bitter or into a mean person. She shows quite the growth throughout the story and finds herself caught between two different worlds. She didn't graduate but that doesn't take away from what a smart young woman she is and is talented in a number of different ways.

This is a book I highly recommend particularly if you're one that enjoys a story set in the early to mid-1920s, has a bookstore in it and shows just how powerful friendship can be. I really hope that there will be a sequel to this book at some point!

Please be aware of possible trigger warnings for death of parents, alcoholism, domestic abuse, child abuse and other forms of violence.

This was a fair historical story although I wished there was a bit more about the bookshop, which was a real place. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

The Bermondsey Bookshop was a real place. During its nine-year existence (1921-30), the venue, under direction of the forward-thinking Ethel Gutman, provided working-class Londoners with literary and artistic sustenance through its reading room, author lectures, elocution lessons, drama readings, and other programming. Mary Gibson has taken this inspiring subject and woven it into a historical saga evoking an impoverished young woman’s dreams and struggles.

Kate Goss grows up in a violent household in South London’s Bermondsey district in the 1920s. Raised by her harsh Aunt Sylvie since her Romany mother’s death and her father’s abandonment for parts unknown, she’s forced to leave school and begin work at a tin factory, where the camaraderie is warm but the pay meager and the work brutally hard on young bodies. After a vicious fight with her cousin and aunt, 17-year-old Kate is thrown out and left to depend on her own resources and pluck – and the latter she has in abundance. She takes multiple jobs, including one as a cleaner at a bookshop catering to local residents, one meant to be “common ground for the Mean Streets and the Mayfairs.” Throughout, she dreams about her father returning and lifting her away from her dreary life.

Kate is initially suspicious of the shop’s kindly proprietor, Ethel Gutman, who treats her with respect and asks to be called by her first name, as if they were equals. Through her bookshop role, Kate makes connections that prove important: Johnny Bacon, her former schoolgirl crush, a dockworker who contributes articles to the quarterly Bermondsey Book; Nora, a French teacher; and Martin North, a wealthy woman’s artist nephew. It’s clear that Johnny and Martin will develop into rivals for Kate’s affections. Both are rounded characters with visible flaws, making Kate’s decision complicated.

Gibson plunges readers deeply into the crushing poverty of Bermondsey’s streets through Kate’s hand-to-mouth existence, including the exhaustion of fourteen-hour days and the “Monday morning fever” that soldering girls got from breathing metal dust. Kate has admirable energy and courage that see her through hard times – there are many – though has a blind spot where her missing father is concerned. The novel also shows how difficult bridging social divides can be. At times I found myself wishing that the bookshop was more central to the storylines, and the novel's ending feels a bit fragmented. But I found myself fully involved in Kate’s refusal to admit defeat, and appreciative of the chance to learn more about an innovative historical bookshop and its social success.

The Bermondsey Bookshop by Mary Gibson is an intriguing tale of life in the tenements of London in the 1920s. Her father in the care of her aunt, following her mother's death, has left Kate. Her father had gone off to war and then to seek his fortune. She dreamed daily of his return. Her life was horrible. The description of life in Bermondsey for most of the people there was absolutely miserable. It was worse for Kate. This was a tough book to get into. It took about halfway to really start enjoying the read. This was partially due to the minimal dialogue that made it slower going. It did set the rest of the book up well, though, so it was worth it. 

Kate lived in abject poverty, made worse by the fact that her aunt hated her and allowed her to cousins to treat her miserably. Eventually, at about 12, Kate was pulled out of school and sent to work in a tin factory. She was successful there: she worked hard and was thrilled to be away from the family so many hours a day. Her aunt even allowed her to keep a miniscule amount of her weekly pay. Things got so bad at some that several years later her aunt kicked her out and she had to make it on her own. She barely kept her head above water and then came layoffs for the summer. Presumably she would be called back in the fall, but until then she needed work. She found several jobs, cleaning. One was at a pub and one was at the Bermondsey Bookshop. There she found friends and the kind of people she didn't even know existed. By the time she was eighteen, she had a beau, and a couple of new items of clothing. Things were looking up. They stayed that way for a while, with lots of twists and turns in her life. It became a very interesting read. I enjoyed it, although if I had not committed to review it, I am not sure I would have kept reading. I recommend it with reservations. 

I received a free ARC of The Bermondsey Bookshop from Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley  #thebermondseybookshop

This story is based around a real  bookshop that was founded by Ethel Gurtman in 1921. Established to provide a place for the working classes to learn to read, buy  books, learn languages or stage classical plays. Kate Gross was a young woman who struggled with poverty. Her mother had died and her father had abandoned her. She works several jobs to try and make ends meet. When she gets a job in the  bookshop, her life begins to change.

With a well crafted plot and great descriptions of the bookshop, what more could you want. I found this story both intriguing and sad. Kate is a feisty character. This is a beautifully written story but its pace is quite slow. This is a heartwarming and heartbreaking read. A  must read for fans of historical fiction. 

I would like to thank NetGalley, Aria and the author Mary Gibson for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Bermondsey Bookshop" is a unique Historical Fiction story that takes the reader to the rough and raw streets of Bermondsey during the 1920's. We get a window into the plight of those living there...poor families...impoverished women working in factories, domestic abuse, brutality against women and children...money lenders and scammers...and the hope for better that lives deep inside.

Mary Gibson, author of the Factory Girls series, hits it out of the park with this absolutely engaging story. 
Based around the true story of The Bermondsey Bookshop, founded by Mrs. Ethel Gutman. Wanting "to bring books and the love of books into Bermondsey", Mrs. Gutman modeled the bookshop around the working men and women; the shop was open in the evening, free lectures by authors and scholars, and an installment plan to be able to own books...or "a" book.

Our story revolves around "Kate Goss", a young girl left by her father to be cared for by her aunt after the sudden death of her mother. But life isn't easy, in fact it's dark, hateful and abusive. 
Young Kate spends her nights dreaming about the return of her dad and how he will save her from the violent drudgery of her days.

Filled with longing for a better life, a will to survive and love that comes silently wearing many faces, this is a book that should not be missed.

4⭐
Thank you to NetGalley, Aria-Head of Zeus, and the author Ms. Mary Gibson for the opportunity to read this Advanced Readers Copy of "The Bermondsey Bookshop"
The opinions expressed in this review are mine alone.