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Tom doesn’t stand out at his school or anywhere; he’s not especially good-looking or gifted. He and his dad get along fine but aren’t really close. Then Tom falls for Farah, a pretty girl at school, and he wants to be noticed. He goes to his village library and starts checking out romance books (under the guise of getting them for his mom, even though she died when he was young), thinking they might help him learn about women.
Maggie is a woman in her 70s who goes to the library for book club every week. She has been living alone for 10 years, since her husband died. She takes care of her house and land, including some sheep and a garden. She’s doing just fine on her own.
Then Tom comes to Maggie’s rescue one day outside the library, and the two start to get to know each other. She helps him with ways to talk to Farah, and he helps her with her lambs.
In the middle of it all, their little village library is threatened with closure, and they work together to rally their community to save it.
The Library is such an enjoyable book to read. It’s sweet to see the friendship develop between a teenage boy and an older woman. They learn from and help each other and it’s a delight. It’s one of those books that just makes you feel good. (I’d also recommend Mrs. Saint and the Defectives as a charming story to make you smile.)
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes about 30 instances of moderate profanity and about 35 uses of mild language (most of which are paired with the British bl- curse word). Violence includes a woman being mugged and a couple of minor fights. Drinking and alcoholism play a part in the story.
