Ruth Shaw skillfully gathers vignettes from her bookshops in a picturesque corner of New Zealand, reflections on her favorite books, and touching stories from her vibrant and diverse life. She served in the navy, was a cook, a nurse, a housekeeper, an entrepreneur, a captain of a tourist ship… Resilient, active, emotional—able to take a hit from fate—Ruth sailed across the Pacific, fell into the hands of pirates, worked in the criminal Sydney district of King’s Cross, became a defender of nature, and with her husband Lantz sailed on a sailboat called “Bracky Girl” that could carry passengers to subantarctic islands. And yet Ruth’s love has always been books—one of humanity’s best inventions: books that keep the warmth of past generations’ hands, feed the mind, make you laugh and cry, help you forget your worries or, on the contrary, connect with other people’s fates, think, and feel compassion. Cozy shops she opened in Manapouri become a real magnet for children and adults, men and women, locals and tourists. After reading this sincere book, you’ll likely want to know more about Ruth and her astonishing homeland.