Book Review “Words in Deep Blue” by Cath Crowley

Reviewed by Stacey Leerhoff

I love the idea of living in a bookstore and having your favorite books at your fingertips. If you wake up in the middle of the night, just go to your favorite section and sit in a corner and read. Ideally, I think, the bookstore would be an old store with lots of nooks and crannies and old unique architecture, soft lighting, comfy chairs and maybe even a hidden passageway or two. Bookstores like that are good places for keeping secrets and discovering oneself. In “Words in Deep Blue” by Cath Crowley there is such a library. In it there is a section called the “Letter Library” where people can write notes in books they love and highlight parts they want to share. Long love stories live within the pages of the books of the “Letter Library.”

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.

Rachel returns years later and ends up working with Henry, whom she hoped she would never see again, in the bookstore. Lots has happened to both Henry’s and Rachel’s families in the years between. As they navigate this point in time, we see the whole story of their past unfold with other characters’ stories. The past, present, and future are told through love letters written in the letter library. We, as readers, live and experience with the characters in this moving novel of love and self-discovery. When you turn the last page, you’ll be left feeling like you never want the story to end. Words in Deep Blue is available in BRIDGES audiobook via https://bridges.overdrive.com/ or in print at the Charles City Public Library. Call 641-257-6319 to reserve your copy today!