England, 1959. Free-spirited widow Florence risks everything to open a bookshop in a conservative East Anglian coastal town. While bringing about a surprising cultural awakening, Florence’s obstacles amass and bear suspicious signs of a local power struggle.

Provincial prejudice clashes against a widow’s iron will in Isabel Coixet’s cozy yet unconventional period drama, starring Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson as formidable nemeses. Beyond a source of personal comfort, books—and the pleasures of reading—have the power to heal a divided community.