Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati
Once upon a time in a tiny walled medieval village in Tuscany, with roughly 180 inhabitants, not long before a great plague descended, a woman returned to her birthplace. This beautiful place made of stone and brick had elliptical, concentric streets and was built between 1200 and 1500 AD. This fairytale began when one evening, in March 2019, Alba Donati decided she would open a tiny bookshop. Situated 70 kms from Florence, next door to her childhood home, she built a wooden cottage, a space where she could continue her life in literature. A poet who also worked in publishing, Donati had the crazy but heartfelt desire to bring literature home, and in this gorgeous setting, the bookshop Libreria Sopra La Penna was born. The End! Or is it because as with most fairytales, Donati’s story has less of the light fairy magic and more of the dark woods.
Donati is living her dream and the sun is shining, but one dark night a fire guts her beloved shop. Despairing, she thinks it is all over but doesn’t realise how much goodwill is in that tiny town, or in the generosity of strangers, who help get her back on her feet. And then another big bad wolf comes visiting: Covid. Shutdowns and travel restrictions play havoc, but Donati’s resilience and love of literature are flames that burn strong. The serendipitous world of books persists despite Covid, offering hope, escape and a salve to all the challenges the pandemic and life in general threw at the world. With the encouragement and help of the locals and social media, Donati keeps her shop afloat. At the end of each diary entry, she lists the books that have been ordered that day; I found these fascinating and readers will find many good suggestions here.
Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop is evocative and inspiring. Long live Alba’s bookshop for I love the idea that she is selling books in the perfect fairytale – as long as the big bad wolf stays away.