Sara arrives in the small town of Broken Wheel Iowa from Sweden with plans to visit her long time pen pal, Amy. Unfortunately, she arrives in time to learn her friend had died. The residents of the small dying town set Sara up in Amy's house for the duration of her stay. The connection between Amy and Sara was all about books and there are plenty of references to numerous titles in the story. Sara ends up helping the town by setting up a bookshop in the mostly shuttered town main street. Most of the contents for sale come from Amy's library. Besides the tale of how the book shop improved the lives of the town's residents, there is a love story angle. The townsfolk hatch a plan for Sara to marry and thus be able to stay in Broken Wheel after her tourist visa expires. Unbeknownst to them, Sara has already found love and their plot disrupts the natural order of things. Enter a suspicious immigration official and things get very complicated. There are side plots about the conservative, church lady, Caroline, and a much younger man, alcoholic George and his missing daughter, and the abrasive, outspoken Grace who runs the diner. The multiple references to specific books and the variety of characters make this book a winner.
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