The Last Chance Library

Disclaimer: Received an advance copy from Berkley Publishing and Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

TWs: prolonged grief, stress from library closing/job uncertainty, death of character

Summary: June Jones works as a library assistant in her English village. This is the library where her mother, who died when she was a teenager, worked as a librarian. She's stuck in her grief and the most excitement she gets is seeing the regular patrons every day. But when the library is threatened with closure, June and the patrons get together to work on saving their library. 

Review: Let me start off with two quotes from the book from two of the characters, who are regular patrons of the library.

"What these management consultant with their calculators and spreadsheets will never work out is that the library is about so much more than simply books. Libraries are like a net, there to catch those of us in danger of falling through the cracks. That's what we're really fighting to protect." - Stanley

Libraries are boats/And the books are lifejackets/Without them we'll drown. - a haiku by Jackson

This book is about the transformative power of libraries. 

Like most libraries, there is a regular set of patrons that come every day. There's the aforementioned Stanley, an older man who uses the computer and does crossword puzzles. Mrs. Bransworth, who is always down for a protest! Vera, the grumpy senior who likes cookbooks. Jackson, a nerdy boy who is the grandson of June's neighbor. Chantel, the teenager who needs a quiet place to study.  And Leila, who just immigrated to England and is learning how to cook new foods.

Even thought they use the library for different reasons, they believe that libraries are important to their lives and the lives of others. When several of the patrons decide to create a Friends of the Library group to save the library from closing, they ask June to join. She eventually agrees and the fight to save the library is one that turns her life upside down.  She also creates a bond with Stanley and Mrs. Bransworth and learns more about them and their lives. They become the supportive team that she needs.

This is also a coming of age story.

At the beginning of the book, June is a shy and reclusive character. Her house still looks the way it did when her mother passed. She has no plans in changing. As the fight to save the library goes on, she comes out of her shell and becomes assertive and sure of herself. She also opens up to the possibility of love when she finds herself becoming friends with classmate Alex, who is back in town to take care of his father. And for the first time in many years, she looking towards the future.

There are also references of books throughout, including Matlida, Gone Girl, Harry Potter, Winnie the Pooh, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Great Gatsby, The Hobbit and much more.

This book was written in response to the many library closures and budget cuts in England, which are mentioned. Many library systems in the United States are experiencing inadequate budgets and some even face closure. Some libraries even face attacks from those who are suppose to be supporting them.  Libraries around the world are more important than ever, especially with the pandemic and the ongoing fight of providing correct information to the public. Trust me: libraries are more than just books and computers. They also provide a lifeline for those who use the library for various reasons and bring a sense of community to those who need it.

I really enjoyed this book and it is one of my favorite reads of the year (so far). It is a very cute book. If you like libraries, a  coming of age story, an uplifting story (or uplit, as I heard on a webinar recently) or just a great fiction book, The Last Chance Library is the book for you.