The Spellshop

Books and a shared love of books are at the heart of The Spellshop. Kiela, the protagonist, starts out as a librarian, and her work forms the basis of her identity. Even after she’s forced to leave her library behind, she still identifies as a librarian at her core several times throughout the novel, which informs her choices and developing sense of identity.

The novel’s inciting incident occurs when Kiela is forced from her home and takes it upon herself to be a guardian of the valuable, vulnerable spellbooks that the library has secreted away. They become her first priority throughout the novel, and many of the actions she takes are to protect and preserve them. For Kiela, books symbolize safety, security, and home. They also become a refuge, both literally and figuratively, when they help the main characters address and conquer their problems. When another stranger comes to the island, however, it’s ironically Kiela’s books that put her at the greatest risk. In an ironic inversion of this risk, Radane sees the spellbooks as her greatest chance at survival.

Another book that plays a pivotal role is Kiela’s family cookbook. As a physical book containing her parents’ handwriting, it bridges the material and the immaterial, the old and the new.