Mim and the Woeful Wedding (The Travelling Bookshop # 2)

The next book in the Travelling Bookshop series after the CBCA Book Of The Year Awards-nominated Mim and The Baffling Bully, Mim and the Woeful Wedding follows Mim, her father, and her little brother Nat as they venture to the Greek Isles. With them is the Travelling Bookshop, which somehow fits into a caravan but is impossibly huge inside. Mim’s dad says that the bookshop always knows what book to recommend to someone—the book they need, not the book they want.

As they make friends with the residents of the island, they meet secret climbing enthusiast Father Christopoulos, start a book club, and stumble onto a tragedy. The island is preparing for an upcoming wedding between Anjelica and Stavros. Anjelica’s family owns a popular restaurant and Stavros’s family are fishermen, and the union will help both families to prosper. But Mim can’t help but notice that Anjelica seems sad about the upcoming wedding, while Stavros is only interested in boats.

Mim tries to recommend that Anjelica reads The Owl And The Pussycat, in an attempt to prompt her into thinking about marrying for love, but is undercut by her father, who recommends a book about interior design for caravans. Stavros gets a book about the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci.

As the date approaches, Mim realises that she can’t avert the wedding—but she doesn’t have to! Father Christopoulos has disappeared to pursue a life of mountain climbing, giving Anjelica the opportunity to confess that she doesn’t want to stay in the restaurant business. Stavros is fascinated by her designs for tiny homes and starts thinking of ways his inventions could support her creations. Anjelica’s mother confesses that the book on cupcakes she got from Mim’s dad has reminded her how much she loves baking, and she’d like to add afternoon tea service at the restaurant. The bookshop has done it again—helping people to find their true passion in life and pursue it.

Another sweet instalment in the series, this book will transport readers to Greece and leave the flavour of baklava on the tongue. With a focus on communication and pursuing dreams, the broad cast of characters each have unique problems to be solved by the right book at the right time. Fantastical elements like a flying lamb called Daisy and a mysterious travelling bookshop underscore Mim’s dad’s refrain—the line between fiction and reality is blurred. And when we can so clearly see the impact of a good story on people’s lives, it’s hard to disagree!

communication, design, invention, stories, family, bookshops, magical realism, travel

Not applicable.