Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer

When I saw that Paul Collins, author of Sixpence House was blurbed on the front cover, I decided to grab this book...either that, or I was dreaming of that Paris vacation again...

Mercer flees his native Canada in a flurry of confrontation, threat and fear, and finds himself wandering aimlessly through Paris, his money running low, as well as his constitution. He finds Shakespeare & Co, a famous bookshop known for housing struggling writers for free.

Mercer is quickly sucked into the world of Shakespeare & Co, as well as the eccentric owner, George. Though not a pretty tale, or even a particularly uplifting one, it is fascinating - and a little frightening.

A great Parisian escape for a few hours...