The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson @ZaffreBooks @SampsonF

Book Description:

When Libby Nicholls arrives in London, broken-hearted and with her life in tatters, the first person she meets on the bus is elderly pensioner Frank. He tells her about the time in 1962 he met a girl on the number 88 bus with beautiful red hair just like her own. They made plans for a date, but Frank lost the ticket with her number written on it. For the past sixty years, he’s ridden the same bus trying to find her.

Libby is inspired by the story and, with the help of an unlikely companion, she makes it her mission to continue Frank’s search. As she begins to open her guarded heart to strangers and new connections, Libby’s tightly controlled world expands. But with Frank’s dementia progressing quickly, their chance of finding the girl on the 88 bus is slipping away . . .

More than anything, Libby wants Frank to see his lost love one more time. But their quest also shows Libby just how important it is to embrace her own chance for happiness – before it’s too late.

The author of The Last Library brings us this beautifully uplifting novel about how one chance meeting can change the course of your life forever

My Thoughts:

Sometimes a book comes a long and just sweeps you off your feet and this is one of them.

Libby ends up in London down on her luck. She has just come out of an eight year long relationship and is at a crossroads in her life in where she goes next. Meeting Frank on a bus sees an unlikely friendship strike up between the pair with Libby making it her mission to help Frank find the girl he has never been able to forget from all those years before.

The characters are what really makes this story. Libby and Frank are just wonderful and my heart kept melting at the growing bond between the two. I think the story is a reminder that we will all get old one day and how we should make more time in our lives to sit and talk to the older generation. Frank is such a sweetheart and it made my heart swell to have Libby come into his life as well as see he has such a wonderful carer in Dylan. Dylan goes to show that you shouldn’t take people at face value and how people can be so quick to judge on appearances. I loved that certain characters took me by surprise.

Who knew a story which a big part of it centres on being on a bus could be so mesmerising but The Girl on the 88 Bus by Freya Sampson was an absolute joy to read. It is wonderfully uplifting and I found myself unconsciously smiling at the characters selfless actions. Certain parts were emotional but the bond between these characters was so heartwarming and I was so sad to say goodbye to them by the end. I know they will stay with me though for a good while to come. As soon as I read this one I had to see what else the author had written as I just adored this one so much and was thrilled to see she has another published which I quickly purchased. A truly lovely read!