The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

The charming international bestseller about an elderly bookseller who delivers his recommendations door-to-door and an unlikely friendship with a nine-year-old girl that changes his life, for fans of The Midnight Library and A Man Called Ove.

The bookseller Carl Christian Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the picturesque alleys of the city. These people are almost like friends to him, and he is their most important connection to the world.

When Kollhoff unexpectedly loses his job, it takes the power of books and a nine-year-old girl to make them all find the courage to rebuild their bonds with each other.

A bestselling phenomenon internationally, Carsten Henn’s The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a feel-good novel about books and friendship.

Hardcover, 239 pages

Published August 1, 2023

by Hanover Square Press

3.5/5 stars

This year I've made a conscious effort to read more books about books, I think that’s the bookworm in me coming out. The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a recent translation that was released in North America last August. 

This was a charming read, also a quick one coming in at 239 pages, but it does pack a punch. From the point of view of an elderly gentleman whose job it is to deliver books to special customers in the evening hours. He has his routine until one day it is interrupted by a nine-year-old girl and then things go amuck.

The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a story of friendship, community and love of books. There is humor, drama, along with righting wrongs.  A nice read that highlights the impact reading has an individuals.

Highly recommend for bookworms out there.

This book was part of my 2024 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge