NEW RELEASE
Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan (2012)
Rosie Hopkins was fairly happy with her life in London. She had a long-term boyfriend, a job and a place to call home. She never thought about leaving and was reluctant to do so, but her frail Aunt Lillian needs her help and since there is no other family in the area, Rosie must head off to the country to sort out Lillian's sweet shop. After a seemingly endless bus ride, Rosie arrives in a quaint town that looks as it if has been the same for generations. There are no signs of big department stores or grimy streets, just small family-run businesses. It's such a drastic difference from Rosie's London life. Lillian is a little frosty at first, not wanting to admit she needs any help. However, she does need it and Rosie can see it. What she can't see though, is how much the few weeks she is planning on spending in the country are going to change her and her outlook on life or how many mishaps she'll get into in the process. Written with flashbacks to Lillian's World War II childhood, where the sweet shop was bustling with children, this is a novel that will bring back memories and make you want to pop out and buy some nostalgic sweets (or better yet, you can make them yourself with the included recipes). Rosie and Lillian, along with the rest of the colourful characters they encounter throughout the story, are perfectly cast against each other. It's hard to imagine a better-written novel with its perfect blend of the past, the present and the future. As a result, it's definitely a story that will stay with you long after you've read the last page. (AS)
Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop Of Dreams, by Jenny Colgan, is about a woman who has to put her city life on hold to help out her aunt. The summary says: "Rosie Hopkins is about to face major upheaval. Her elderly aunt Lilian - feisty, independent Aunt Lily who never talked about her past - needs her help, so Rosie is moving to the depths of the countryside for a few months to look after her. Plus Rosie will be away from Gerard, the man she hopes to settle down with soon, and they'll miss each other dreadfully . . . won't they? Lilian Hopkins has spent her life running Lipton's village sweetshop, through wartime and family feuds. As she struggles with the idea that it might finally be time to sell up, she also wrestles with the secret history hidden behind the jars of beautifully coloured sweets. And the longer Rosie and Lilian spend together, the more they realise they can learn from each other." Welcome To Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop Of Dreams is out in March.