Last September, I visited Paris for the first time. Although I did not create a strict itinerary, I had a (long) list of things I wanted to see and do and made an attempt to map out a plan for the week I was there. 
One of the “must visit” places on my list was the venerable Shakespeare and Company Bookstore located across the river from Notre Dame.
The bookstore was originally opened by Sylvia Beach (who published Joyce’s Ulysses) and later taken over and established as a true landmark in Paris by George Whitman.
When I walked into that bookstore last September, I was in awe. There were no e-readers. There was no table littered with cheap chachkies. There was no open space. The store was jam-packed with books . . . and readers.
Now, I have visited my share of independent books shops, thrift sales, and libraries of all sizes. Never have I encountered a space that was so crammed with both books and readers.
I mostly knew about this place from Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast. Knowing that so many important literary figures spent time there made the trek to the bookstore seem almost like a pilgrimage.
I was on vacation with a friend who was also eager to check out the shop. Upon arrival, we mostly explored the space in silence. Being the unhealthy bibliophile that I am, I started eyeing several titles that I knew I must have for my library. However, after collecting several volumes, I remembered that I would have to lug whatever I purchased in Paris back to New York. Reluctantly, I returned the volumes to the shelves.
However, I couldn’t walk away from Shakespeare and Company without purchasing a book.
I settled on the memoir that was recently released about the shop, its legendary owner, and those who have called it home, A History of the Rag & Bone Shop of the Heart.
I have read a lot of fiction about books and bookstores and book lovers and magical bookshops, but nothing I have ever read on the subject compares to the true events catalogued in this book about the people whose lives this real bookstore has affected.
If you have visited in Shakespeare and Company or are planning to visit, this is a must read. Bookstores in fiction often represent a haven for wandering souls. It’s comforting to know that those havens are not exclusive to works of fiction.
Live, Love, Learn,
Candice & The Write Teacher(s)