It's only the beginning of her story...
Jess Metcalf is perfectly happy with her quiet, predictable life - it's just the way she likes it. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, her life is turned upside-down.
Packing up her grandmother's books, she moves to a tiny cottage in a charming country village. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the owner of an old red telephone box, too - and she soon turns it into the littlest library around!
It's not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their magic - somehow, they seem to be bringing the villagers together once more...
The Littlest Library is such a lovely story and it involves books so that's a win/win for us bookworms! I already love books, that's a given, but reading this book has made me want to rediscover my childhood favourites and the many classics I have sitting patiently on my bookshelves. There is nothing quite as magical as books and The Littlest Library reminds us of that.
Jess is at a crossroads in life after losing both her grandmother, Mimi and her job in a library, so it's the perfect time for a new start. I adored reading about village life in Middlemass and how a detour off the motorway played a hand in Jess finding herself living there. I think Jess is very brave to move somewhere new on her own and I loved seeing how her character developed over the course of the novel.
I can't go any further without mentioning the books! Oh my word, what an amazing thing for Jess to do: to put all of her grandmother's treasured books into the phone box for people in the village to borrow. The books really made a huge impact on the village and some of them even have wonderful little notes in the margins that are a lasting legacy from Mimi. I was so touched by this and although I would never write in a book, I can see how wonderful it must be to find a hidden message like this.
I really liked Poppy Alexander's writing, not just the warm and lyrical style but the way that the story is more realistic than fairy tale. Jess has quite a few obstacles to overcome and I really felt for her when she was faced with difficult decisions; if only happiness could pay the bills! I had my fingers and toes crossed that fate would would intervene once again, but you'll just have to read it for yourself to see if Jess gets her happy ending.
The Littlest Library is a charming novel with community (and books) at its heart. I really enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Poppy Alexander book.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour; all opinions are my own.
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About the author:
Poppy Alexander wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying and a bit of journalism instead. She takes an anthropological interest in family, friends and life in her West Sussex village (think, The Archers crossed with Twin Peaks) where she lives with her husband, children and various other pets.
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