My enormous thanks to Sofia Saghir for sending me a copy of The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page in return for an honest review. It’s my absolute pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Harper Collins on 28th September 2023, The Book of Beginnings is available for purchase through the links here.

The Book of Beginnings

Her new chapter starts now…

Jo Sorsby is hiding from her past when she agrees to run her uncle’s beloved stationery shop. Glimpsing the lives of her customers between the warm wooden shelves, as they scribble little notes and browse colourful notebooks, distracts her from her bruised heart.

When she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret, and Malcolm, a septuagenarian still finding himself, she suddenly realizes she isn’t alone.

They each have a story that can transform Jo’s life… if only she can let them in.

The perfect gift for book lovers, The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Bookshop in this gorgeous novel about secrets, second chances and finding friendship in the most unlikely places.

My Review of The Book of Beginnings

Reverend Ruth is missing.

Oh my goodness! The Book of Beginnings is a beautiful read imbued with love, friendship and understanding. Sally Page achieves the perfect balance of poignancy and gentleness without being remotely insipid or saccharine so that she steals her reader’s heart. I could not have enjoyed this book more.

I think what works so effectively in The Book of Beginnings is the gradual build up of friendship between Ruth, Jo and Malcolm. Although Jo’s perspective has the greatest focus, the narrative feels perfectly balanced and each character is layered, realistic and so sensitively developed. 

I loved Malcolm’s metamorphosis from shy and regretful to confident and vibrant, illustrated by his increasingly colourful clothing, so that reading about him made me want to find my most outlandish clothes and wear them with pride. Similarly, I adored Ruth. Her brand of religion is exactly what it should be. Indeed, through Ruth I have found a new perspective and attitude towards those with a religious faith I simply don’t possess. Witty, occasionally naughty, and always kind, Ruth has restored my faith in humanity. She epitomises the true concept of kindness, even whilst she’s being bossy and manipulative. Jo, too, provides comfort and relatability to the reader as she comes to terms with her averageness and realises that enough is exactly that – enough. 

Running through the narrative is an utterly fascinating insight into Highgate Cemetery and its inhabitants that is hugely entertaining. These sections have authority and interest that lingers long after the book is finished so that The Book of Beginnings feels somehow greater than the sum of its parts. It really is a wonderful read. 

The Book of Beginnings is about human connection, about finding friendship in the unlikeliest of places and people, and about realising that it really is never too late to be yourself. I could not have enjoyed it more.

About Sally Page

After studying history at university, Sally moved to London to work in advertising. In her spare time she studied floristry at night school and eventually opened her own flower shop. Sally came to appreciate that flower shops offer a unique window into people’s stories and she began to photograph and write about this floral life in a series of non-fiction books. Later, Sally continued her interest in writing when she founded her fountain pen company, Plooms.co.uk.

In her debut novel, The Keeper of Stories, Sally combined her love of history and writing with her abiding interest in the stories people have to tell. Sally now lives in Dorset. Her eldest daughter, Alex, is studying to be a doctor and her youngest daughter is the author, Libby Page.

For further information, visit Sally’s website, follow her on Twitter/X @SallyPageBooks or find her on Facebook and Instagram.