The English Bookstore in Bologna : A Novel

Against the sunlit backdrop of Italy, five expats discover each other-and rediscover themselves-in a charmingly funny and poignant novel by the author of An Unfinished Story and A Spanish Sunrise. Tucked away on a cobblestone street in enchanting Bologna, Italy, is the only English bookstore in the city. It's owned by prickly Sandy Cooke, who keeps love, and even romantic fiction, at a distance. Her employee, timid and hopelessly optimistic Moira, dreams of transforming the struggling shop into a vibrant community hub. Against the odds, one Bolognese summer, it becomes a haven for fellow expats at their own crossroads. Bianca is a psychotherapist escaping both a breakdown and withering reviews of her new self-help book. On her heels is her father, George, wrestling with retirement-and regrets. He's had a few, but the light of his life has always been his daughter. Then there's Harold, a young and awkward barista from Denver recovering from his first belly-flopping high dive into love. Maybe it's time for reinvention. At the only English bookstore in Bologna, paths converge for five damaged souls who discover that healing doesn't require much-just honest connection and an open heart. c 2026 by Lemuel Harrall Walker III, writing as Boo Walker, all rights reserved.