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The Bookstore Sisters  By  cover art

The Bookstore Sisters

By: Alice Hoffman
Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
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Publisher's summary

An Amazon Charts bestseller

From New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman comes a heartfelt short story about family, independence, and finding your place in the world.

Isabel Gibson has all but perfected the art of forgetting. She’s a New Yorker now, with nothing left to tie her to Brinkley’s Island, Maine. Her parents are gone, the family bookstore is all but bankrupt, and her sister, Sophie, will probably never speak to her again.

But when a mysterious letter arrives in her mailbox, Isabel feels herself drawn to the past. After years of fighting for her independence, she dreads the thought of going back to the island. What she finds there may forever alter her path—and change everything she thought she knew about her family, her home, and herself.

©2022 Property Of, Inc. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Jennifer Jill Araya brings the two sisters in Hoffman's short story to life. She projects the hurtful emotional baggage they've been carrying throughout 12 years of estrangement.”AudioFile Magazine

What listeners say about The Bookstore Sisters

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    1,299
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Wish this was a whole book

I love the characters and their story. I would like the what happens next. Please.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Too short!!

I didn’t realize this was a short story and I want MORE 🤦🏼‍♀️. Great little story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Only one problem...

There is only o n e problem with this story. Its Too short. More please .

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A lovely story

I loved this story. The author packed a lot into a short story. It was interesting to get involved in the lives of the two sisters. I loved reading about the small town, (Maine is a favorite setting of mine) the books and the store. I loved the girls' mother, and everything that the author wrote about books and reading.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Cute short story

Loved this by Alice Hoffman. Very cute story, short, but keeps the reader entertained. Hope she does more of these.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Too Short

Interesting story, but way too short. Some of the characters were very aggravating, and were quick to pass judgement. There are many different ways to deal with grief.
Right when the story was getting interesting, it was finished. I would have loved a longer story with more details and closure.

Overall, good for a quick read.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Love ❤️❤️❤️❤️

ThankYou for writing this, taking me back to my own childhood with my sister and a time when our own mom left for Heaven very much too soon for all of us.

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Sisters, I never had one

Caused me to once again, want a sister. Sister weather life and seem always to rally around each other! A lovely short read to enjoy sitting in my garden. I love Alice Hoffman, and had read almost all of her titles!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable, quick listen.

This was an enjoyable second chance story. Second chance for family and for love. There were a couple of minor things that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, especially when it came to the townspeople, but for the most part I really liked the story. Of course I wish it was a little longer, but I actually like the way it ended-it definitely leaves it to you to imagine what happens in the future for everyone.

The narrator was very good.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I wish the story were longer

While the author did a great job of creating this short story, I found myself wishing it was longer and more fleshed out. Good story though.

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