The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

I picked up Katarina Bivald's debut novel because I was looking for a light read. I wanted a book that provided an escape. A few pages in, and I'm transported to the small midwestern town of Broken Wheel. It's a feel-good book filled with quirky, lovable characters and small-town life. As Broken Wheel struggles to survive rough economic times, the community unites. Unlikely friendships are formed, and romance blooms. The power of books is highlighted, providing a delightful read for any book lover. If you enjoy novels centered around the love of books and a bookstore, this is an excellent choice.

Sourcebooks Landmark (January 19, 2016) - Fiction - 402 pages

Broken Wheel, Iowa, has never seen anyone like Sara, who traveled all the way from Sweden just to meet her book-loving pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, however, she finds Amy's funeral guests just leaving. The residents of Broken Wheel are happy to look after their bewildered visitor, there's not much else to do in a dying small town that's almost beyond repair.

You certainly wouldn't open a bookstore. And definitely not with the tourist in charge. You'd need a vacant storefront (Main Street is full of them), books (Amy's house is full of them), and...customers.

The bookstore might be a little quirky. Then again, so is Sara. But Broken Wheel's own story might be more eccentric and surprising than she thought.

A heartwarming reminder of why we are booklovers, this is a sweet, smart story about how books find us, change us, and connect us.

1. One of the themes in The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is how a single individual can strengthen a community or repair fragile lives. Why does Sara decide the town needs a bookstore, and how does she become a catalyst for change?

2. Discuss the nature and contents of Sara and Amy's two-year correspondence. What do the letters reveal about each of them? How do Amy's views on injustice shape Sara's choices?

3. Have you ever had a long-lasting correspondence with someone you didn't know, or even with someone you did know? Can letter writing form as deep a relationship as personal contact?

4. What do you think of Sara's emotional engagement with books? Do you ever feel books compete with real life for your attention?

5. Another theme is the power of books to change lives. What gives them such power? What is the town like when Sara arrives, and how does it change by the end?

6. Talk about specific characters and how their lives are changed through reading. Which character's story engaged you most?

7. What book has changed your life, or the life of someone close to you?

8. Which other works does this book bring to mindThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, 84, Charing Cross Road, or The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry? How does it compare?

9. Questions by LitLovers.com

This story is about the love of reading and how books can impact people's lives. The cast of characters in this small Iowa town is delightful. What better place to discuss a book about books than with your Book Club.