In the novel, books act as a catalyst to form community. When Viv ventures beyond The Perch, the first place she enters is Thistleburr Bookshop. Fern is central to Viv’s story, and her bookshop is central to the community that they build. Thistleburr becomes a gathering place and hangout spot. Viv’s friends and team bond and get to know one another in the bookshop.

Fern never loses sight of her bookshop’s primary purpose. She is a skilled bookseller who, throughout the novel, rediscovers the pleasure she gets from putting the right book into a customer’s hands. With her recommendations to Viv, Gallina, and Pitts, Fern rediscovers how much she loves her work. With her recommendations, books become a means of self-discovery for the other characters, who see themselves differently after they embrace reading.

When Viv arrives in Murk, she isn’t much of a reader. An astute judge of character with a passion for literature, Fern recommends books for Viv that lead her toward a love of reading and help her understand her own identity. Fern’s first recommendation taps into Viv’s love of adventure. After, Fern gives her a book that helps Viv connect with her romantic nature.