The thought of books being banned, censored, or even burned is absolutely abhorrent to me.

As someone who loves books, I find it almost impossible to imagine being told what I can and cannot read. So this novel certainly got me thinking.

Marc Levy introduces us to Mitch, a passionate bookseller who finds himself on the wrong side of the law for doing something that should be perfectly ordinary: selling books.

In the world Levy has created, certain books have been banned, and Mitch’s refusal to comply lands him in prison for five years. When he’s finally released, all he wants is to get back to his bookshop and reclaim the life he’s lost.

But there’s a problem. He comes face-to-face with the man responsible for putting him behind bars, and revenge suddenly becomes very tempting.

Then along comes Anna, and the possibility of love complicates everything.

What I particularly enjoyed was the way Levy brings these two very different stories together. On one hand, there’s a corrupt system that wants to control what people read. On the other, there’s a rather lovely story about love, second chances, and finding happiness when you least expect it.

And there’s humour too. Early in the book, when Mitch asks his father whether God exists, his father replies:

“Scepticism starts when you’re sitting in a church between a nun and a cop and suddenly realise your wallet is gone.”

That made me smile, and it’s a good example of the sharp humour that lightens what could otherwise be a rather confronting story.

I found myself thinking about how easily we take our freedom to read for granted. We walk into bookshops, browse the shelves, and choose whatever takes our fancy. Imagine someone else deciding which of those books we’re allowed to take home.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely, particularly to fellow book lovers. It’s entertaining, sometimes unsettling, and has just enough romance and humour to balance the darker storyline.

A book that makes you smile, but also leaves you with plenty to think about.