This one has a lot of heart in it. Each one of the 18 stories really hit me in a way that surprised me. They all revolve around the family of Dave and Morley and their kids Stephanie and Sam. The family doesn’t appear in every story, as sometimes we have the pleasure of following the life of someone outside of the family, but someone the family knows and is a resident of the same town Dave and Morley live in. Dave works at secondhand record store, The Vinyl Cafe, from which the series takes its name. The store wasn’t the backdrop very often in this novel (there are many), which didn’t affect my opinion of the book at all.
I found lots of things very relatable in this book. The devastation of loss. The pain of knowing your kids are growing up too fast. Making mistakes and doing your best to try and correct them. Giving it all for the ones you love. It’s not easy to write about fiction and not give away spoilers.
What I gleaned from this book to make it a Better Book.
- The importance of family.
- It’s ok to feel strong love towards animals. It means you have a heart.
- Children grow older. It can be painful, but it’s necessary and it’s the job of a parent to help them navigate that.