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There are currently 24 member reviews
for The Last Chance Library
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Ruth C. (Charlotte, NC)
Move over Susan Orlean and Michael Gillebeau...
Freya Sampson's fiction debut is a heartfelt homage to libraries and the pivotal role they serve in our communities. June Jones, the assistant librarian at her local library, transforms from shy introvert to sneaky rebel when the local council threatens closure of her library branch. Ms. Sampson develops strong characters, some quirky yet all realistic and human. The author employs a few twists, and the pace picks up as the story progresses. Readers will smile, sometimes laugh, and finally, tears will fall as the book ends. The Last Chance Library is a fitting tribute to the library in your neighborhood.
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Martha G. (Columbia, MO)
Last Chance Library
What a delightful read! The Chalcot Library brought back so many memories of my childhood library. From the children's reading room to the irascible head librarian, Marjorie, I was hooked. Watching the characters come together to save their library made me wistful for that kind of community in today's divisive world. June's growth as a person was believable as she struggled to "find her voice" . Lots of talking points for book club conversations!
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Madeline M. (Florida)
The Last Chance Library
This novel is a joy! June Jones is an unlikely but endearing heroine surrounded by a cast of charming, quirky characters. You'll root for them all, all the way through. If you're looking for a feel-good read, this is it. It will do your heart good.
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Grace W. (Corona del Mar, CA)
We are what we read
Are we what we read?
Freya Sampson's The Last Chance Library, is a charming and thoroughly engaging homage to books, libraries and librarians. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. The characters were so vividly and efficiently portrayed. I was totally caught up with the residents of the small town Chalcot and their efforts to save their local library. This is a perfect reading for a summer's day. The fast-paced plot led me to devour the book in nearly one sitting. As a daughter of a librarian and one who also works in a library, I embraced the book's theme of extolling the value that libraries and librarians provide to the community.
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Pamela C. (Boxborough, MA)
Library lovers gem!
June Jones works at the local library just as her mother did. After her Mom passes, she still lives in her house surrounded by happy memories. She does not venture out beyond her comfort zones: the library and the house. She has few friends and does not date, but when the library is threatened to be closed June steps up and shows that she has some backbone. She joins the campaign to save the library and in the process she finds her self confidence to speak up, discovers that she does have friends, and finds a suitor. Uplifting story to warm any library lovers' heart! As a library volunteer I appreciated how well this book showcased the importance of libraries to the local community!!
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Maryanne (Little Compton, RI)
The Last Chance Library
What is a library and what role does it play within its township? Freya Sampson addresses these questions in The Last Chance Library when a small village library faces permanent closure by vote of the city council. As the local community rallies to show their library is far more than a repository for books, an introverted librarian caught in the shadow of her late mother's former job emerges. Despite her extreme social anxieties, the young librarian discovers her own voice via her pen, and most importantly, finds her friendships amongst the eclectic cast of library patrons are truer and more reliable than the characters in the well-worn pages of her beloved novels.
Although this heart-warming story is a quick, easy read with a predictable storyline, the author deftly shows the many important roles a library plays within its community. Librarians, book lovers, and anyone who has found safety and/or comfort in their public library will enjoy this book.
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Lynn R. (Dixon, IL)
Support your library-go check out this book
Having worked in a small public library for 30 years I was delighted with the way the author captured the variety of people that a library serves through her characters. I have to believe that the author has worked in a library because Library Assistant June's job duties and relationships with library patrons was so realistic. The Friends of the Chalcot Library (FOCL) was a great way to develop the characters and Gayle's wedding fiasco was laugh-out-loud funny and a vehicle to develop the plot. I loved all of the book recommendations scattered throughout. Support your public library and go check this book out.
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