What an absolutely wonderful book. A delight to read from start to finish. It was a cracking story. Kind, sad, funny, irritating and educational. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would have no qualms over recommending it to anyone. A definite 5 stars from me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

A truly feel good book.
Jo has moved from Yorkshire to North London after her relation breakdown to work in her uncle’s stationery shop.
She always thought herself as ordinary, however her new friends the Runaway Vicar and Malcom help her see herself under a new light.
Her life in London has brought her new friends, but she feels the pull to Yorkshire where her best friend, Lucy, and her family are. But what about Eric the Viking?

I loved this book so much.

Jo Sorsby is an average girl, living an average life. When she breaks up with long term partner James she is devastated, and when the opportunity arises to run her favorite Uncle's stationery store in London she jumps at it.

Jo finds she loves working in the store, and buying new stock - and also finds that she makes friends with some amazing new people. Ruth and Malcolm are both customers and become fast friends. Eric 'the Viking' owns the optician's and Jo can't get him out of her head.

However, her parents and her best friend live up north, and Jo finds she is very torn in her allegiance, and more than a little confused.

A lovely book, with some very strong and well crafted characters. I really enjoyed it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78819215-the-book-of-beginnings

I adore the adventure that this book takes you on, the pages are beautifully written & the book is a beautifully presented ode to friendship. The concept of this story is very imaginative & not only to I appreciate the settings (especially the stationary shop where they seem to sell practically most items) - but also the wonderful story telling that approaches some more difficult subjects comfortably.

Thank you Sally for allowing me to enjoy a new genre for myself, but also for bringing me on the adventure of the stories in the cemetery!

Thank you to Harper Collins, Sally Page and Net Galley for the ARC.

Amazing. 5 stars. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year.. I’d already read Sally Page before and really loved her storytelling. The characters were fabulous, the runaway vicar, Eric the Viking etc. Their stories, the shop, uncle Wilbur, friendships. It’s made me want to buy a fountain pen ( which I wouldn’t use). It also made me message my best friend just to tell her I loved her and missed her (I was on holiday). I would recommend this book to everyone.

Having enjoyed Sally Page’s first novel, I was hoping this would be as good. I was not disappointed! The novel takes a slice of time for seemingly normal woman, following a break up and uses this to illustrate the power of friendship across generations and social groups. It’s a great read, and the characters are varied and engaging.
The way the author can use an unusual subject matter (a cemetery) and bring it alive (literally) is genius!
It also addresses issues such as coercive behaviours and how easy it can be to be clouded by your feelings and not see what others find obvious. She does this very cleverly I feel.
All in all, it’s a wonderful novel, highly recommended.

A gentle story of a new beginning. The main character takes over her uncle’s shop and starts to integrate into the community.
The story moves along slowly celebrating small wins and the love of stationery and eventually the family gets together again and the love interest develops.
I found it a gentle pleasant read but not exciting as the end approaches and the the expectations are fulfilled.

Lovely story of a motley group of people who help each other to move on in life and find love and friendship in unexpected ways. Heartwarming but not too sugary.

Thank you to NetGallery and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this heartwarming novel!

"A place for everything and everything in its place."

Jo takes it upon herself to look after her sick uncle Wilbur's shop, which happens to sell stationery. She trades her quiet country life for fast-paced London, where she feels quite far from her past. She slowly settles in and starts a new life, temporarily of course. Adjacent to the paper shop is a tattoo parlor and an optician.

Eric, the "Viking" was a very lovable character from the very beginning, I don't think I've even added a book on my virtual shelf where I collect my bookish crushes for a long time! He definitely deserves to be there! Jo gave almost everyone a nickname and it was really cute. Like Caramel Toffee Clare. ^_^ In return, Jo also gets one from Eric, so she becomes the Stationery Girl. :)


Jo is a lovely woman in her late thirties who has recently gone through a breakup and is quite down on herself, which is understandable. She and her best friend, Lucy, were very distant from each other, also because of the ex in question. And if all that wasn't enough, even his uncle's condition is getting worse. Her self-confidence is not high, and her dream of becoming a mother one day seems to be fading away.


Then Jo slowly finds new friends in Ruth and Malcolm. They both got to know him by wandering into the store. Although the age difference between the three of them is quite large, Ruth is in her fifties and Malcolm is in his seventies; yet a very strong bond develops between them. Ruth and Jo entrust Malcolm to write his book, for which he has been writing notes for a very long time, the countless scribbled notes could cover an entire book. The trio soon becomes enthusiastic about his research work, and one encounter is followed by another.


As the weeks and months pass, Jo begins to get used to her new life, and we see a much more confident, new version of her. I was glad that after a while she dared to innovate on the range of paper and stationery, and it was a very good idea to display the fountain pens on the counter so that customers could write with them. My other favorite was the noticeboard, which was empty at the beginning, but over time all kinds of things and memories got on it. :)



Overall, I really liked it, I recommend it to others!

I was really looking forward to this book as I loved the keeper of stories. The book of beginnings is a nice book with lovely characters but it is repetitive. I would recommend this book but more as a rainy afternoon book.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

A really good book. Despite not being my usual fayre of murder or intrigue, I enjoyed it. Jo moved to London to temporarily take over her uncle's shop when he had to go in a care home. It starts a little slowly but becomes very interesting when Jo and her two new friends, Ruth and Malcolm discuss the lives of some of those buried in Highgate cemetery. The author manages to write about emotional issues without being too sentimental. I particularly liked the character, Ruth who brought some humour to the story. The book isn't easy to categorize as it's about friendship. poetry, history and love; the perfect antedote to murder mysteries and spies.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

This book was such a delight. Delicate, sweet, non-pretentious, real, and beautifully written.

We are in London, in the peculiar streets and micro-world between Hampstead Heath and Highgate Cemetery, following Jo in her personal quest of finding herself and her lost purpose. This is just a starting point of a story of many layers, made of simple yet rare encounters that sometimes we miss to hold on to or understand.

The Book of Beginnings is an ode to friendship, where time demands to be cherished, because what else will survive when everything else vanishes?

There are so many gems that I wouldn’t know where to start. I love stationery and I treasure fond memories of little shops I explored in different times and places in my lifetime, and Jo’s world was therefore an easy win for me. Then all characters, quirky but honest and interesting in their own right, were so inviting to discover. The pieces of poetry and historical figures intrigued me and moved me, as well as the stories of love and need of yearning and feeling at home warmed me dearly.

There is so much to unfold in this novel, and so much to take away that I’m sure I’ll be reading it again soon. This book is all about what I define as simple pleasures and how to give space to our inner selves, so if you expect big twists or eventful plots it may not be for you. As for me, I found it beautiful and it lifted me up, like a good book should do.

An uplifting story showing unexpected friendships can be found in the most unlikely places such as a stationery and hardware shop.
Jo knows she is hiding from her past when she agrees to look after her uncle’s stationery shop.
She feels so adrift, but when she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret and Malcolm, a man in his 70s struggling to write his first book, she realises she isn’t alone.
It’s an uplifting and inspirational read, the style of writing grabs you attention and pulls at your heartstrings.
It’s about the importance of friendships - both old and new, sharing laughter and memories.
A gentle, slow burning read - a perfect sunny or rainy day read.
Thank you @bysallypage @harpercollins & @netgalley for the eARC

this a story about an unlikely friendship and how average Jo finds her place.
it’s an amazing story that made me smile with its gentle reminders that we are all only human.
a great read and one i would recommend

A perfect holiday read. Just enough deep and meaningful words to reflect on, without melancholy or sadness. Touched my heart a little.
Very enjoyable, I recommend.

I found The Book of Beginnings to be rather slow going. The premise of the story was great but it did seem to drag. It was a tad predictable too as I had worked out the ending from quite a way back in the book. However, I really enjoyed the individual characters who had me feeling sad, happy, emotional, and gave me a good chuckle at times.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This was such a good book!
A real cosy festive hug!

A story of friendship, with a Viking and some ghosts thrown in.

I loved all the history of Highgate Cemetery. I hate spoilers in reviews, so will just say this is a lovely gentle read and I would recommend it.

If you love books and bookshops you’ll love this story. Jo runs her uncle’s stationery shop while he’s in hospital. Through her, we meet a runaway vicar, the nearby shopkeepers, her best friend, Lucy and various other characters who visit the shop.. A most enjoyable light read.

I really loved this beautiful book which I think is very much in the vein of The Lido - i.e. it is a book about friendships. Uncle Wilbur has had a fall so his niece Jo (after leaving her job and splitting up with her boyfriend) comes down from Yorkshire to north London to run his stationary shop until he recovers. So we meet Eric the Viking who has the optician's next door and Lando, the local tattoo artist. However, we also meet various customers, their quirks, habits etc. but most of all Reverend Ruth (the runaway vicar) and Malcolm. These last two characters become Jo's loved and trusted friends. There are a variety of events, crises and happenings as we follow this eclectic group. It is a book about what has happened in the past, what is happening now and how to face the future. A very easy read where you really do end up loving the characters and very much empathising with them. Really enjoyed it. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book.

The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page was an absolute delight. Jo, who has lost her self belief and confidence through a toxic relationship is coasting, licking her wounds as she caretakes her uncle’s shop. Her excellent instincts and observation skills however, sees the evolution of a gentle and safe place in her uncle’s quirky shop. People come, disclose their thoughts and feelings in writing with the fountain pens and, in the case of Jo Malcolm and Ruth, form healing friendships. This is a story of life, regret, loss, and the restorative power of friendship. The authors inclusion of Highgate cemetery and Malcolm’s stories really adds substance to the story and weaves the fledgling friends together. I’d definitely now love to visit! The lovely thing with this book is that Sally has left plenty of scope for a sequel. Four sound stars from me