Set among the stacks: Four enchanting novels for bibliophiles
From the ancient Greek Athenaeum to your cozy local reading room, libraries have long served as a refuge for longtime book lovers and new readers alike. But a place to borrow books is just the beginning 鈥� for many people, a library is a place of opportunity, learning, and self-discovery.
鈥淟ibraries of all kinds are key to the vitality of communities,鈥� according to Patty Wong, president of the American Library Association. 鈥淚f the past year has taught us anything, it鈥檚 that America鈥檚 libraries are nimble enough to meet changing local needs and foster community resilience.鈥澛�
The keepers of these libraries are often unsung heroes who deserve praise. Four recent outstanding novels look inside these mighty institutions to celebrate the joy of books, the inspirational power of storytelling, and the ways that library communities can uplift lives.
Why We Wrote This
Why do we love libraries? They are places of refuge, learning, and personal discovery. But their most vital role may be in the building of community, as explored in four captivating novels.
A righteous fight
Freya Sampson鈥檚 winsome novel, 鈥淭he Last Chance Library,鈥� takes place in a small English聽village, where the local Chalcot Library is about to lose its funding. June Jones, a shy and lonely 20-something library assistant (and daughter of the town鈥檚 late legendary librarian) finds blessings in believing in herself, as she takes on the task of fighting to keep the library open with the help of a host of quirky co-workers and library patrons. From Stanley Phelps, a kindly fan of World War II novels who practically lives in the library, to an array of townsfolk, June finds a sense of family in friendships she never knew she could have.
鈥淟ibraries aren鈥檛 just about books,鈥� our narrator reminds us. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e places where an eight-year-old boy can have his eyes opened up to the wonders of the world, and where a lonely eighty-year-old woman can come for some vital human contact. Where a teenager can find precious quiet space to do her homework and a recently arrived immigrant can find a new community.鈥�
June鈥檚 reconnection with an old school chum who鈥檚 visiting town is charming. Sampson鈥檚 storytelling is refreshingly Capraesque, with messages that ring out for finding purpose, connection, and joy in embracing community and following one鈥檚 dreams.聽
Literary healing
In 鈥淭he Reading List,鈥� Sara Nisha Adams鈥� captivating novel, a mysterious book list discovered within the pages of Harper Lee鈥檚 鈥淭o Kill a Mockingbird鈥� changes lives. An endearing West London widower and nonreader, Mukesh, anxiously wishes to connect with his granddaughter through books, just like his cherished late wife did. Summer library assistant Aleisha is a distraught teenager who is balancing a challenging home life. When the unlikely pair form a book club, they discover incredible stories and characters that help lift them out of loneliness and grief. 鈥淧iles and piles of books,鈥� Adams writes. 鈥淚t was as though they were floating all around him, lifted up by some kind of magic, offering up new worlds, new experiences. It was beautiful.鈥�
Adams鈥� book shines with a bighearted cast finding rejuvenation in books and the community. The book explores issues of mental health, and Adams鈥� emotionally finely tuned prose shows a trending toward peace, even after unexpected tragedy. 鈥淭he Reading List鈥� is an ode to the power of stories and the enchantment of reading.
Real-life heroes
This third library novel brings World War II into its landscape, honoring librarians who worked for the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Risking their lives, these librarians smuggled books to isolated soldiers and Jewish patrons who had been banned from visiting libraries. In Janet Skeslien Charles鈥� stirring tale of courage, 鈥淭he Paris Library,鈥� the high stakes underscore the power of books: 鈥淣o other thing possesses that mystical faculty to make people see with other people鈥檚 eyes. The Library is a bridge of books between cultures,鈥� she writes.
The novel is filled with fascinating facts about the real-life American Library, engagingly narrated by young librarian Odile Souchet, whose twin brother is sent off to fight in the war. Charles, herself, worked at this library as programs manager, and integrates moving portrayals of actual staff members such as Dorothy Reeder, director of the library; Boris Netchaeff, its head librarian; and others.
Alternating chapters are voiced by Lily, a lonely teenager who befriends Odile聽decades later in 1983 Montana. Their unlikely friendship reveals lessons about longing, loss, and navigating hardship. Bibliophiles will adore this remarkable historical library tribute.
Soul-searching
Each of these stories uniquely captures the rewards that books can bestow upon individuals and communities. Matt Haig鈥檚 dazzling bestselling novel from last year, 鈥淭he Midnight Library,鈥� goes a step further by creating an imaginative modern fable with nods to 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Wonderful Life.鈥�
Nora Seed is a 35-year-old woman who feels she鈥檚 failed miserably at life, and regrets just about everything. After she finds herself at a magical library helmed by the ever-wise Mrs. Elm (Nora鈥檚 grade school librarian aka guardian angel), her enlightenment begins. Nora starts choosing 鈥渂ooks鈥� that all revolve around lives she could have lived. She becomes an Olympic swimmer, a glaciologist, a rock star, and more. 鈥淟ibrarians have knowledge,鈥� Haig writes. 鈥淭hey guide you to the right books. The right worlds. They find the best places. Like soul-enhanced search engines.鈥�
Haig鈥檚 adventurous storytelling is profound. Nora arrives exactly where she needs to be, having gained greater perspective, forgiveness, and gratitude.
