I’ve been under the weather. A nasty, congestive cold with endless coughing which racks the lungs. So I needed a read that was light, yet entertaining — in order to get through what has turned into a couple of weeks. But, stop, enough complaining – and let me tell you about The Booklover’s Library.
In Nottingham England, widow Emma Taylor desperately needs a job to support herself and her young daughter, Olivia. Legal restrictions prohibit married women, or even widows with children from most employment opportunities. Emma eventually persuades the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s library to take a chance on her.
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Let me do a Book Barmy digression here, okay?
Boots is very large chemist in the UK – a pharmacy, but so much more. When visiting the UK, I always stock up on my favorite, yet inexpensive, beauty products which are unavailable here. A favorite shopping experience.
What I didn’t realize, is that between 1899 and 1966, Boots ran a network of circulating libraries from within their stores. Borrowers paid a small subscription fee to belong and borrow books.
The books themselves were cheap hardbacks, but the size of a paperback, with no paper jacket and a small hole drilled into the top edge of the spine. This book explains how subscribers names were printed on ribbons which were threaded through the spine and could also be used as a bookmark until the book was returned.
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Back to the story.
Emma and her father owned a bookshop before the war, but sadly it burned down — taking the life of her beloved, bookloving father. With this background, Emma is soon a top employee at the Booklover’s Library. She soon has favorite clients who enjoy discussing books and seek her advice on their next read. But all the while, she is worried about leaving Olivia alone to make her own way to school, get home, and find a bit to eat.
Over time, her landlady and a crotchety neighbor upstairs become friends and start to help out with the little girl – walking her to school, providing after school company, and help with homework.
However, bombs are starting to threaten Nottingham and so Emma reluctantly evacuates Olivia to the countryside, with various outcomes. More than once Emma brings Olivia back and together they hide in air raid shelters and cue for rations.
Emma’s journey goes beyond working mother, as a wartime romance captures her heart.
Ms. Martin does a wonderful job of creating a very real WWII backdrop – I could hear the sound of air raid sirens, could taste the weak reused tea, and blanched at the lard disguised as war-time butter. ‘Mass Observation’ was indeed a practice, and the book shows how civilians would take part in detailed notes of suspicious people to be given to the government.
The Booklover’s Library is an especially delightful novel for book lovers, and while the WW II backdrop portrays the hardships people faced – it’s how the books and reading helped them to heal, and try to recover from sadness and loss of dear ones. Simply a lovely feel good book. This turned out to be a perfect book for my aliments. (And, yes, I’m feeling better, thanks for asking.)
A couple of quotes I liked:
“Truly, there was nothing better than the companionable silence that fell between readers in a quiet room, each entirely lost in their own worlds.”
“He told me that the world is full of readers, some just haven’t found the right book yet.”