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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
NYPL, glimpses into the Heterodoxy Club of the West Village in the 19-teens, Laura Lyon's foray into Columbia Journalism School as one of the first female students: YES.
Sadie's role in solving the mystery of special collections thefts in the early 1990s, hanging in there with the plot's alternating storylines 80 years apart...OK
The telling rather than showing emotion didn't work for me.
Sadie's role in solving the mystery of special collections thefts in the early 1990s, hanging in there with the plot's alternating storylines 80 years apart...OK
The telling rather than showing emotion didn't work for me.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
As soon as I saw the cover of this book and read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read it. This historical fiction/mystery takes place in two timelines, 1913 and 1993. The common thread between them is the NYPL. In 1913, Laura Lyons lives inside the library, in an apartment there with her husband and two children. Her husband is the superintendent of the library. Laura dreams of being a journalist and when she gets accepted to the Columbia School of Journalism, Laura’s entire world changes. She meets a group of progressive women who talk about suffrage, politics, women’s rights—radical issues in 1913. In 1993, Sadie Donovan is a curator at the NYPL and these two women share a connection that is deeper than their love of books.
.
What I loved: The dual timelines blended together seamlessly. The setting was phenomenal and that alone made it worth reading. I learned so much about the NYPL, past and present. The lore of the library and the knowledge about rare books, manuscripts and diaries was woven into the story so it didn’t feel like a boring history lesson. The theft of rare books spanned both timelines and wove together to create a mystery that kept me engaged. Laura is a strong, determined, passionate woman and I enjoyed reading about her struggles even though I found Laura’s story to be tragic in the back half of the book. I loved the diversity of the characters as well.
.
What didn’t work for me: The connection between Sadie and a detective who is hired to investigate the theft from the library felt forced. The reveal of the 1993 was just okay. It felt like a bit of a letdown.
.
Read it? Yes! If you love historical fiction, NYC, libraries, diverse characters, and a dual timeline mystery, you need to read this one.
.
What I loved: The dual timelines blended together seamlessly. The setting was phenomenal and that alone made it worth reading. I learned so much about the NYPL, past and present. The lore of the library and the knowledge about rare books, manuscripts and diaries was woven into the story so it didn’t feel like a boring history lesson. The theft of rare books spanned both timelines and wove together to create a mystery that kept me engaged. Laura is a strong, determined, passionate woman and I enjoyed reading about her struggles even though I found Laura’s story to be tragic in the back half of the book. I loved the diversity of the characters as well.
.
What didn’t work for me: The connection between Sadie and a detective who is hired to investigate the theft from the library felt forced. The reveal of the 1993 was just okay. It felt like a bit of a letdown.
.
Read it? Yes! If you love historical fiction, NYC, libraries, diverse characters, and a dual timeline mystery, you need to read this one.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A love story to all librarians and libraries.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Too much going on all at once.
I love that this took place in a library! A book about books rarely fails. Although I struggled with some of the choices the characters made I loved how the author knit the grandma and granddaughter together without taking away from the heart of the story.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No