Totally Booked with Zibby: "Libby Page and Overcoming Grief with Books"

Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Libby Page (Author of This Book Made Me Think of You)
Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt in-person conversation, Zibby Owens interviews bestselling author Libby Page about her novel This Book Made Me Think of You. The discussion delves into themes of grief, the healing and connective power of books, the importance of independent bookstores, and the interplay of hope, adventure, and community in the aftermath of loss. Libby shares her own experiences of bereavement, how they inspired her writing, and the books and people that shaped her emotional journey. The episode stands out for its warmth, bookish love, and authenticity, offering both insights for aspiring writers and comfort to readers navigating difficult times.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Inspiration and Plot of the Book

• Premise: The novel centers on Tilly Nightingale, grieving her late husband Jo, who, before his passing, arranged for Tilly to receive a book and letter each month for a year via her local bookshop. Each book serves to guide her through grief and into new adventures.
  • [04:31] Libby Page:
    "This book made me Think of you is about a woman called Tilly Nightingale whose husband has sadly recently passed away. And she finds out that before he died, he arranged a year of books for her... Each book comes with a letter... designed to help her through her year of grief and to send her off on literary inspired adventures."
• Personal Roots: Libby's own bereavements and solace in books inform the emotional realism of the story.
  • [05:04] Libby Page:
    "It's partly inspired by my own experiences of grief and turning to books as a real comfort and escape."

2. Dedications and the Role of Influential Figures

• The book is dedicated to Libby’s grandfather and Sally Lane—her godmother-like figure and a formative presence in her childhood and reading life.
  • [05:59] Libby Page:
    "Both were real influential people in my life... After they'd gone was going back to books they loved... That connection to them that continued... books being like a conversation that can continue with people you love after they've gone."
• Zibby comments on how relationships often go undefined but carry deep meaning.
  • [06:56] Zibby Owens:
    "It's just somebody. Somebody I love."

3. The Bookstore as Sanctuary and Community Hub

• The fictional bookstore, inspired by independent shops in North London, is a “cosy, inviting” sanctuary and a character in its own right.
  • [08:20] Libby Page:
    "I have always wanted to write a book set in a bookstore... I really wanted somewhere that felt like a real heart of the community... it's about like minded people coming together and a real kind of safe space."
• Zibby, herself a bookstore owner, admires the depiction of the “behind-the-scenes” reality.
  • [09:08] Zibby Owens:
    "You really nailed all the functions and the things that have to happen behind the scenes at a bookstore too."

4. Characters and Exploring Grief

• Alfie: The gentle, reserved secondary lead; he inherited the bookstore and grapples with grief over lost possibilities as well as lost people.
  • [10:19] Libby Page:
    "He's a real gentle soul... sort of over time, really helps Tilly come out of her shell. And ... that connection does for both of them... is an important part of the novel."
  • [11:59] Zibby Owens:
    "Alfie... is going through his own breed of loss... It's like a complicated grief... you always kind of wonder, and I feel like you tap into that point of grief, that it's not just the now, it's the what would have been."
• Secondary Relationships: The complexities of grief include estranged friendships and unexpected support.
  • [14:19] Libby Page:
    "I wanted to get across those complexities of grief that it is. There's a lot more that can go along with it that you might not have expected."

5. Balancing Grief and Uplift

• The book intentionally tempers grief with hope, joy, and adventure—depicting healing as nonlinear and life as full of new chapters.
  • [15:08] Libby Page:
    "Although it is a book that is a lot about grief, it is also a book about hope and love and friendship and community. And I definitely wanted it to feel overall uplifting."

6. Books and Adventures: The Healing Journey

• Tilly’s literary adventures are both escapist and transformative; the book becomes a passport to experiences (pasta-making in Tuscany, half marathons, camping, etc.) which also gave Libby herself joy to write.
  • [20:39] Libby Page:
    "Writing those scenes I found so, so joyful. And it was such an escape. And I guess that's what I want to give to the readers as well."
  • [21:38] Libby Page: (on research)
    "Although I didn't go on a pasta making course in Tuscany, I did do a day's pasta making in London for research for the novel..."

7. The Power and Value of Bookstores

• Libby makes a passionate case for the role of indie bookstores as community centers and emotional lifelines, not just commerce.
  • [23:19] Libby Page:
    "My local bookstore isn't just a shop... it's somewhere that I go and to feel connected to other people... You do feel like you're connected to the rest of the world because there are so many different voices and stories there."

8. Libby’s Writing Journey and Advice for Aspiring Authors

• Libby always wanted to write but took detours in journalism and marketing to support herself before her creative breakthrough with The Lido/Mornings with Rosemary.
  • [25:00] Libby Page:
    "I have always wanted to be an author, sort of for as long as I can remember... I studied journalism... worked in marketing for a while and kind of had a bit more headspace then to work on my own book."
• Writing Tip: Push through self-doubt, embrace messy first drafts, and write from emotional truth.
  • [30:48] Libby Page:
    "So often we get in our own way... It's really about just pushing through and doing it anyway. I'm a big believer in a messy first draft. Just get something down on the page... Because then you've got something that you, you can work with..."

9. Book Recommendations and Inspirations

• Libby is a fan of Emily Henry, Jojo Moyes, David Nicholls, and recommends Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (which is referenced in the novel).
  • [27:19] Libby Page:
    "I'm a big Emily Henry fan... JoJo Moyes, David Nichols... authors who maybe have romance in there, but also, you know, kind of women's fiction that explores, you know, issues that women go through."
  • [28:06] Libby Page:
    "Big Magic... I've read many times... my copy is very tatty, which I think is the sign of a well loved book."

Memorable Quotes

• “Books being like a conversation that can continue with people you love after they've gone.”
  — Libby Page [05:59]
• “You nailed all the functions and things that have to happen behind the scenes at a bookstore too.”
  — Zibby Owens [09:08]
• “Although it is a book that is a lot about grief, it is also a book about hope and love and friendship and community... I like sort of exploring those things that we all go through, but ultimately with a hopeful lens.”
  — Libby Page [15:08]
• “My local bookstore isn't just a shop... it's somewhere that I go and to feel connected to other people.”
  — Libby Page [23:19]
• “So often we get in our own way... It's really about just pushing through and doing it anyway. I'm a big believer in a messy first draft.”
  — Libby Page [30:48]
• “I finished it and I held it like this and then fell asleep, which is the best... The best way to finish it.”
  — Zibby Owens [33:56]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:31] – Libby introduces the book’s premise
• [05:59] – Dedication and roots of inspiration in personal loss
• [08:20] – Building the bookstore as a character and haven
• [10:19] – Alfie’s character and dualities of grief
• [13:39] – Portraying estranged friendships and the complexities of mourning
• [15:08] – How the book balances grief with hope and light
• [20:39] – Adventures inspired by the gift of books
• [23:19] – Libby’s advocacy for the role of independent bookstores
• [25:00] – Libby's journey to becoming an author
• [27:19] – Bookish influences and recommendations
• [30:48] – Practical advice for aspiring writers
• [33:56] – Zibby’s emotional response to the book’s end

Episode Takeaways

• This Book Made Me Think of You is a moving, hopeful examination of grief, showing how literature and community can heal and sustain.
• The episode lovingly showcases the real and fictional importance of indie bookstores.
• Libby Page’s writing draws on genuine experience, offering both honesty and comfort.
• The conversation is a balm for readers and writers alike, equipping listeners with insight, empathy, and a reinvigorated love for books.