1988. Frank owns a music shop. It is jam-packed with records of every speed, size and genre. Classical, jazz, punk - as long as it's vinyl he sells it. Day after day Frank finds his customers the music they need.
Then into his life walks Ilse Brauchmann.
Ilse asks Frank to teach her about music. His instinct is to turn andrun. And yet he is drawn to this strangely still, mysterious woman with herpea-green coat and her eyes as black as vinyl. But Ilse is not what she seems.And Frank has old wounds that threaten to re-open and a past he will neverleave behind.
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[THERE WASONCE a music shop]***
(Black Swan, 22 March 2018, paperback, 368pages, borrowed from my library)
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I'm a hugefan of the author's work. Her novel The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry isone of the best and most heart-warming books I've ever read. So I had highexpectations for The Music Shop. This is a lovely book. Frank is a greatcharacter. He has an unusual gift of being able to pick the exact piece ofmusic someone needs. This leads to some funny moments including being approvedfor a bank loan he would otherwise have been refused. He's got an old soul andI fell a little in love with him. He also frustrated me with his refusal toembrace change and start selling CD's when he struggles to make ends meet inthe shop. I loved his relationship with Ilse, this allows us access to a tragicevent from Frank's past and the reason he is so afraid to let someone in andfall in love again. The Music Shop made me laugh and cry in equal parts,especially the end when Frank discovers how much love there is in the world.
