Here’s a light, up-lit tale set in modern England. ELODIE’S LIBRARY OF SECOND CHANCES looks at someone who has it all and asks what happens if they don’t really want it all. When Elodie Aster decides to walk away from the family publishing industry, it’s not because of her feelings for books. She loves books so much that she takes a little-publicized job running a small-town library.
Elodie decides to hide her identity, and I can see both sides of the argument. If she stayed in full public view, she might have attracted donors and more Willow Grove council funding. But she can’t afford to add new books to the shelves from the library budget, so she decides to get creative. This might be considered selfish because she can walk back to her life in the society parties anytime, but the library patrons can’t escape. Maybe her ideas could be used as a model by other harried librarians. Elodie needs a serious university qualification in Librarianship and IT to be offered this job, but that is what she studied at college.
We meet several of the interesting folks around town, beginning with the sulky young lady at the library desk, Maisie, and the homeless man who sleeps in the doorway, Harry. One undoubted star is young Alfie, a neuro-different boy who loves reading. The book feels a little repetitive, with townsfolks telling their story to Elodie and retelling it later. I would have started a homework club with wi-fi in the library and encouraged local artists and local history exhibits. But the remedy Elodie comes up with is unusual. More like performance art. A good point of Rebecca Raisin’s story is that we can start thinking of our own solutions and maybe suggest them to our local librarians.
ELODIE’S LIBRARY OF SECOND CHANCES brings a taste of London’s energy to a sleepy rural town, with fun, contrasts, and controversies. There’s a smattering of romance and a good dose of charity. I’m sure this fun fiction will make many friends. While this one is a standalone novel, Rebecca Raisin has written several light romantic tales about bookshops and other shops.
Everyone has a story. You just have to read between the lines…
When Elodie applies for the job of librarian in peaceful Willow Grove, she’s looking forward to a new start. As the daughter of a media empire, her every move has been watched for years, and she longs to work with the thing she loves most: books.
It’s a chance to make a real difference too, because she soon realises that there are other people in Willow Grove who might need a fresh start – like the homeless man everyone walks past without seeing, or the divorcée who can’t seem to escape her former husband’s misdeeds.
Together with local journalist Finn, Elodie decides these people have stories that need sharing. What if instead of borrowing books readers could ‘borrow’ a person, and hear the life stories of those they’ve overlooked?
But Elodie isn’t quite sharing her whole story either. As the story of the library’s new success grows, will her own secret be revealed?
An uplifting story about fresh starts, new beginnings and the power of stories, from the bestselling author of Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop!
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy