Goodnight June by Sarah Jio (2014)
June is a high-powered banker in New York City. She sleeps, eats, breathes her work. She has very little contact with her family anymore, especially since her younger sister slept with her boyfriend. In fact, they live in Seattle, and NYC was about as far as she could get. Her job (closing small businesses in foreclosure) doesn’t leave her much time to travel, either, so she doesn’t even go home for Christmas.
Her aunt was sad that June didn’t come back home for Christmas. . . and there was a reason why. She was dying but didn’t share this over the phone with June. June found out some months later with a letter from her aunt’s attorney that everything was left to June. Her aunt’s business was a children’s bookstore that had been in business since 1943. June think she is just going to go out there to Seattle, sell it off, and get back to her “real” life. However, she is reminded how much she loved her aunt and loved the bookstore once she gets there. She also discovers that her aunt was best friends with Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight, Moon, and many other children’s book.
I totally enjoying reading this book. I liked the dualilty of June’s story paired with her aunt’s story. I must admit that parts of this book is rather unrealistic, though. June falls in love with Gaving, the business owner next door, and Gavin falls in love with her even faster. . . for one thing. Again, like Jio’s other title that I recently read (The Violets of March), I wondered why, when June discovered the letters and clues her aunt left, June just didn’t get moving and discover the truth that much sooner. . . like Violets and the diary – why weren’t the characters so interested that they just didn’t stay up all night trying to read/find them all?
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and do recommend it.
(Summer Reading Online – 13/30)
Ketab Girl 