FICTION

The Lending Library

Lake Union: Amazon. Jul. 2020. 320p. ISBN 9781503904019. pap. $14.95. F
COPY ISBN
DEBUT Elementary school art teacher Dodie “Do” Fairisle enjoys her life in rural Connecticut until the library gets shut down for asbestos removal and other renovations. Devastated, she turns her sunroom into a small lending library for the town, so they don’t have to drive 45 minutes to the next closest library. One of her regulars is Shep, a construction worker who is new to the area. One minute they are exchanging glances, the next they are a couple. Trouble starts brewing when Shep finds out that Do wants to adopt a baby, something that she neglected to tell him. He’s not ready, and he doesn’t think Do is, either. She agonizes about the baby, her library, and the financial toll it is taking on her, not to mention her abandonment issues from her father disappearing when she was a young child, but her books bring her solace. Avid readers will identify with Dodie, but those looking for romance might want to look elsewhere.
VERDICT This debut novel shows some promise and should appeal to librarians and book lovers everywhere. Read-alikes include Karen Hawkins’s The Book Charmer and Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner.
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?