She met her first husband, Peter, in Samoa, and they shifted to Brisbane, with Shaw pregnant and penniless. The mystery surrounding the plot really gripped me and made me almost want to race to the conclusion to find out exactly what was going on. The film contains many notable differences from the book, most notably that Wen does not die and Eric is sacrificed, unambiguously averting the apocalypse. Through turbulent times, when she had no money to keep herself fed, through times of being scared and alone and at the mercy of the ocean or a dodgy man, Ruth's belief in herself, her ability to adapt and fit in has been the secret of her interesting and varied life.

The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw - Goodreads The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw - Goodreads

Certainly that would have been on our minds in 2018, when this was first published, but I think it's become even more relevant since Covid. Furthermore, in a loose way, I think the book is comparable to Pet Sematary for its examination of grief's interplay with insanity.

The subject matter, the horror that shows up at their door is the catalyst or the vehicle per se, for our harrowing story but its Paul’s lovingly crafted family and their relationships tested under duress that make this book so successful. Then he informs her that he is not alone, and he and a small group of people need to enter the cabin where she lives. And she refuses to sell books to people she doesn’t think appreciate them – like the woman who picked out a pile all with green spines to fit her home’s new colour scheme. Wen and her Daddies, Andrew and Eric, head off on a cozy family vacation to a little cabin in the woods of New Hampshire.

The bookseller at the end of the world | Stuff.co.nz

Both are set a few decades from now, when much of today’s emerging science and tech is part of the backdrop.

The dope cookies did nothing to calm Tony, and after a few years, his violent outbursts caused Shaw to pack up once more and leave. The Cabin at the End of the World lives right on the edge of a familiar plot trope, A small family are ‘unplugging’ in a remote location when their peace and quiet is interrupted by an unexpected visitor with a strange, threatening message.