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​THE MUSIC SHOPby Rachel Joyce ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 2, 2018
Stocking only vinyl in his London music shop, Frank Adair has the ability to select the perfect song to ease each customer’s spiritual crisis.
The son of a music-obsessed mother, Frank grew up learning about Beethoven’s silences, Vivaldi’s funeral, Bach’s eyes, and Miles Davis’ sly sense of humor. By the time he was a teen, he was teaching his mother, Peg, about João Gilberto, Joni Mitchell, and Van Morrison. After Peg’s death, Frank opens his store in a small cluster of shops. Defying land developers and CD–pushing record reps, Frank eschews alphabetical and genre-based organizational systems in favor of delightfully placing Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” ABC’s “The Lexicon of Love,” and Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” in the same bin—after all, each is a concept album. He’s a musical therapist, dosing heartache with Aretha Franklin and fussy babies with the Troggs. With his exuberant assistant manager, Kit, and fellow shopkeepers—including Maud, the tattoo artist; Mr. Novak, the baker; the Williams brothers, funeral directors; and Father Anthon, who has left the church to run a religious souvenir shop—Frank is part of a cozy, quirky community, well-insulated from the risks of falling in love…until Ilse Brauchmann faints in front of his store. Immediately smitten with each other, Ilse and Frank realize they are star-crossed when Ilse admits not only that she has a fiancé, but also—even worse—she doesn't listen to music. Yet she asks Frank to describe music to her; thus begins a journey into the emotional terrain charted by “The Moonlight Sonata,” “Ain’t it Funky Now, Parts 1 and 2,” and even “God Save the Queen,” the Sex Pistols’ version. Joyce (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, 2016, etc.) sets up a charming cast of characters, and her spirals into the sonic landscapes of brilliant musicians are delightful, casting a vivid backdrop for the quietly desperate romance between Frank and Ilse.
From nocturnes to punk, this musical romance is ripe for filming.

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FLAMINGO BOOK CLUB - 2023


January (1/12)
BOOK SELECTION
at Shelly

February (2/09)
EMPTY MANSIONS:
THE MYSTERIOUS LIFE OF HUGETTE CLARK  AND THE
SPENDING OF A GREAT AMERICAN FORTUNE
by Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell
Leader: Pat
at Nancy

March (3/09)
THE MUSIC SHOP: A NOVEL by Rachel Joyce
Leader: Mary
at Mary

April (4/13)
OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng
Leader: Nancy
at Maxine

May (5/11)
THE MEASURE; A NOVEL by Nikki Erlick
Leader: Susan
at Pat

June (6/08)
ORDINARY GRACE by William Kent Kureger
Leader: Darci
at Maxine

July (7/13)
MIDNIGHT IN BROAD DAYLIGHT;
A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY CAUGHT BETWEEN
TWO WORLDS
Leader: Vicki
at Nancy

August (8/10)
FOOD - Bring a dish to share
No Book
at Darci

September (9/14)
HORSE; A NOVEL by Geraldine Brooks
Leader: Maxine
at Vicki

October (10/12)
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus
Leader: Shelly
at Alice

November (11/09)
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB; A NOVEL 
by Richard Osman
Leader: Alice
at Pam

DECEMBER (12/14)
CHRISTMAS PARTY - Bring a wrapped book for gifting
No Book
at Susan