Book Review: Goodnight June by Sarah Jio

Reviewer: Samantha

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

The New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter imagines the inspiration for Goodnight Moon

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Songs) is an adored childhood classic, but its real origins are lost to history. In Goodnight June, Sarah Jio offers a suspenseful and heartfelt take on how the “great green room” might have come to be.

June Andersen is professionally successful, but her personal life is marred by unhappiness. Unexpectedly, she is called to settle her great-aunt Ruby’s estate and determine the fate of Bluebird Books, the children’s bookstore Ruby founded in the 1940s. Amidst the store’s papers, June stumbles upon letters between her great-aunt and the late Margaret Wise Brown—and steps into the pages of American literature.

Review:

When I read the synopsis, this book screamed “must read” to me – and it sure is. As of lover of books and certainly familiar with Goodnight Moon, this story touched me on several levels. There are beautiful sub-plots and such a tender story and lesson about sisterhood and what it means to be a sister within the pages. The mystery of not only Ruby and Margaret but also June and her family unravels as we keep reading, determined to piece the puzzle together. I was crying towards the end of the novel, and this is a story that will stay with me long after I’ve turned the final page. A favorite of the year, and one I would suggest you don’t miss out on.

5 stars