【 THE LAST LIBRARY 】

Genre: Fiction
Audience: Adult
Author: Freya Sampson
Published: August 2021
Publisher: Zaffre
Pages: 302 (ebook)

This was beautifully delightful book – I mean, you can’t go wrong with a book about trying to save a library.

I read this not long after reading The Reading List and was worried I read them too close to each other, as there’s quite a lot of similar vibes between the two. Thankfully, it didn’t impact my reading experience as this is much more focused around the council trying to close the library and the efforts the librarians and patrons go to, to convince them to keep it open. Rather than solely on the community focus of libraries.

It’s a very gentle read, starring a main character who hasn’t really stepped out of her shell since her mum died 8 or so years ago. She’s a librarian assissant at the library and loves her job and the community there. But she’s constantly pushed (but quite an alarming number of people, actually) to go ‘live her life’. I was very interested to see how this narrative would progress, as you could say the MC would be totally within her rights to stand up for herself and say she’s happy with her life (which she kind of does … just not very convincingly).

But ultimately, this does become a story of self-discovery and a very slow excavation of confidence on her behalf. There’s a bit of romance thrown in, but there’s a bucket-load of friendships, and that’s what makes this so wholesome.

If you enjoy contemporary fiction with a literary theme, I’d say this is one not to miss for an easy read.

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Title: The Last Library
Author: Freya Sampson
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June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer’s feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won’t believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.

To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she’s determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.