Peevish Pen: Red Mill Bookstore Review

The Red Mill Bookstore is the latest in Lin Stepp's Smoky Mountain series. I've enjoyed other books in this series—Happy Valley, Downsizing, Eight at the Lake, Seeking Ayita, and Shop on the Corner—and I also enjoyed this one.

Some of the resident cats were interested in the book:

Grover: Look Otis! I heard there's a black and white cat in this book.
Otis: Grover, I don't think it's about you, though.

Grover is right—there is a black and white cat. Plus an orange cat and a calico.

Chloe: Did you hear that, Rufus? There are cats that look like us!
Rufus: I'll take a look after I finish my nap.

Like some of Stepp's other Smoky Mountain novels, The Red Mill Bookstore features a main character who is faced with a problem and who either finds her way to a new home or else finds her way back to her home or hometown.

Ella Quinn is left adrift when her boss and good friend dies, and the Boston bookstore where Ella works must close. Ella had hoped to eventually own the bookstore, but now her dream can't come true. To make matters, Ella's father calls from England with news that her grandmother in Townsend Tennessee broke her arm and needs someone to help her. He's already arranged for Ella's plane ticket and will cover her expenses—but she has to leave Monday and it's already Friday. Ella goes to her condo and starts packing. While her two best friends visit, her boyfriend shows up and is surprised that Ella isn't dressed for the symphony. She tries to explain that she forgot and that she has to leave soon to help her grandmother and she'll be gone about six weeks, but her boyfriend is angry that she's leaving—after he spent $100 each for the tickets that will now go to waste. Ella's friend Cora, still dressed up for work, offers to go with him so the tickets will be used.

When Ella arrives in Tennessee, a childhood friend—Jesse Helton, whom she hasn't seen in fourteen years—is waiting at the airport to drive her to Townsend. While Jesse works in his family's business, Helton Repairs, he also sometimes works for Ella's father, Hershel Quinn, who owns the Red Mill. So, Jesse and Ella will be seeing a lot of each other while she's in town.

Ella soon reconnects with family and neighbors and is a great help to her grandmother. Ella soon loves the town, the mill and the activities surrounding it, her family, neighbors, and—eventually—a certain young man. But her dream was to own a bookstore, and—eventually—this dream comes true. To find out how, you need to read the book.

One of the things I liked about The Red Mill Bookstore is the map that Stepp includes:

In The Red Mill Bookstore, setting is important. Stepp includes many of the local attractions—for instance, hiking trails and festivals. Townsend is a real town in Tennessee and some of its festivals, such as the Hot Air Balloon Festival mentioned in the book really do happen.

The Red Mill Bookstore is rich in family and community values, a sense of commitment, and the importance of faith. While the story has several themes, probably the two most important are that you can go home again and that dreams can come true.