Book Summary and Reviews of The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

The Door-to-Door Bookstore

A Novel

by Carsten Henn

  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Readers' Rating (5):
  • Published:
  • Dec 2024, 224 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

The charming international bestseller about an unlikely friendship between an elderly door-to-door bookseller and a nine-year-old girl that changes his life.

Small-town German bookseller Carl Kollhoff delivers his 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.

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Book club book ideas for members reading english as a foreign language
@Alison_Pask The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn is perhaps a book your group might enjoy. It is a short charming book which would allow discussion about many of the characters. It was originally wr...
-Gabi_J

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"A best seller in Germany, this novel hits all the right notes. It will evoke A Man Called Ove and delight readers who, like Carl, understand life through the power of books." —Library Journal

"Completely satisfying.… A specific kind of summer fun." ―LA Times

"This charmer, translated from the German by Melody Shaw, is an unabashedly sentimental, determinedly uplifting novel about friendships forged through books." ―NPR

"The feel-good novel for all book lovers." ―Spiegel online

"The most warm-hearted and touching novel we could wish for as readers for this special year. It is a book that somehow hugs you when you read it, it really pulls you into its arms." ―Deutschlandfunk

This information about The Door-to-Door Bookstore was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own reviewwrite your own review

jillg

A Charming Read
THE DOOR-TO-DOOR BOOKSTORE
By Carsten Henn

Narration by Raphael Corkhill was very enjoyable. I paired audio with the book.

“A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.” — Stendhal

A charming feel-good fiction read about a reclusive bookseller and a spirited nine-year-old girl who unexpectedly form a bond—their interactions begin to change their lives—and the lives of the people they visit. A comforting, heartwarming read for anyone who loves books.

Exploring themes of intergenerational friendships, value of community and kindness, healing, and the power of books.

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Author Information

Carsten Henn

Carsten Henn has worked as a radio presenter, wine and restaurant critic, and has published a number of successful novels. He lives in Germany.

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