The Story People

 

The Story People by Heather Kaufman

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - 5 stars

“Ben Palermo inherited his uncle’s bookstore in small-town New Holden, Indiana, it was like stepping back in time. The nostalgia, however, is tainted by a painful past, one that Ben would rather leave behind. Can he stay in this town and run the business that holds so many conflicting memories for him? Or will he finally sell? When a group of well-meaning women make it their mission to keep him in town by finding him a wife, his life is about to get more interesting ... and complicated.

Rosemary is a children’s author and illustrator with a painful history of her own. When she meets Ben, she is overwhelmed by his disarming charm ... and familiarity. But when a series of events casts Ben in a suspicious light and a persistent friend makes claims on her heart, Rosemary must discover the truth in order to finally reconnect with her past. 

The Story People is a celebration of the connection forged when a book is opened, loved, and shared and the vision and purpose found when letting God use you wherever you are.”

Series: a stand alone novel

My thoughts:
This book! This splendid, lovely, book!! An easy five star read. Not to mention a stunning cover!
Let’s start with the layout of this book. First of all, the font. I don't know WHY but the font caught my attention. It’s not even a super amazing font, I just like it, lol. Next we have the cute little doodle-ly thing at the beginning of each chapter, as well as it being titled and numbered. To be honest, this may now be my favorite formatted book.

Now, let's talk about the AMAZING characters!
Mrs. Gardner, Mrs. Frank, and Mrs. Baumgartner: Oof! They were a hoot. My favorite part was when the three ladies and Professor Jenson created a scheme to convince Ben not to sell Palermo’s Books, ending with Mrs. Gardner breaking her arm and bruising her tailbone. The ghost tactic, hilarious. I was laughing during all the fanatics.
Professor Jensen: What a surprise he turned out to be. It was a cute little side story with him and Mrs. Gardner.
Ben Palermo: He was a nice male lead and was so sweet to the trio of elderly ladies. It was cute when he was so awkward around Rosemary during the first little while.
Rosemary Berg. I liked how she was an author and illustrator. She was a cool character.
Final and miscellaneous thoughts:

Raise your hand if you have read this! Those raising your hands tell me how much you loved Heather Kaufman's word usage. It was splendid, just splendid! There were an abundance of amazing words. Some of which I didn't know the meaning of. That right there is exactly what I prefer to see in books. Words, which create vivid pictures in your minds! (If you have read my first post in my Wonderful Words series on my blog you know what I’m talking about.) I am seriously considering writing to the author to give her a thank you full of gratitude for the words in her novel, which she placed in just the right places. And finally, I loved the passion about all things books.

Favorite Quotes:

“Yes, I agree. I think reading lets us know that we're not alone, that our experiences have been other’s experiences. Sometimes we think our situation is so unique, but reading puts us back into context. We don’t have to feel isolated or alone after all. Stories connect us as humans.” - Rosemary Berg pg. 278

“Reading was that for me. Books always helped me manage my emotions. Something about reading the stories of other people’s lives was soothing, helpful.” - Ben Palermo pg. 278