Before we get started tonight, I wanted to let you in on a little secret.

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plus exclusive bonus stories in between our longer books. Follow

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Good evening and welcome to the sleepy bookshelf, where we set down our worries from the day and pick up a good book.

I'm Elizabeth, your host, and it's so lovely to have you here with me tonight.

This evening will be beginning A Room with a View by E.M. Forster,

first published in 1908.

It's a beautifully observed novel that follows a young woman, Lucy Honeychurch, as she travels

through Italy and back to England and begins to see the world and herself in a new light. Set between the sunlit openness of Florence

and the more restrained atmosphere of Edwardian England,

the story explores love and social expectations

and the quiet courage it takes to follow one's heart.

It's a gentle, romantic and quietly witty story, and I can't wait to begin.

If this is your first visit to the Sleepy Bookshop,

don't worry if you drift off before I finish this part of the story.

At the beginning of the next episode, I'll give you a thorough recap, so you can rest easy without worrying about missing anything important.

Keep in mind that all the books on this show are carefully selected and edited to help you fall asleep. We keep the plot lines, the characters,

the atmosphere, the key moments, but we do soften anything that might feel too intense or unsettling

so you can always enjoy a calm

and restful experience.

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