A review by kellyreadingmachine
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This beautiful book has become one of my all time favourites, and whatever I say won’t do it justice at all, but I’m going to give it my best shot. Swipe for the full synopsis! 

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a wonderful story. It is about censorship, privilege, heritage, history, friendship, family, love, acceptance and more. It is a rallying cry against book burning, against racism, against homophobia and antisemitism. 

The key theme I would say is censorship, its impact and consequences, with Lula Dean and her group determined to police what the people of Troy can and can’t read. This isnt a new idea and unfortunately is happening all too often. Miller’s story excellently portrays this ignorance and its consequences, from the more lighthearted to damaging. 

I loved the narrative of this book. Each chapter focuses on a different character or family, and as the novel progresses you can see how these characters overlap and connect to each other, such is the way in a small town. This also reflects the way certain characters discover their shared heritage; there can be shared history between most unlikely of people. 

Miller has a skill for writing both the humourous and the heartfelt beautifully. I laughed out loud at so many moments, and and others I was holding my breath and welling up with tears. 

Some characters are horrid, there is no doubt about it, and yet its rarely black and white. Even the most volatile of characters had me feeling sorry for them at one moment, as Miller shows how people can be a product of their parents and environment. There is no shying away from white privilege, the treatment and history of enslaved people and mentions of the Holocaust here, so be prepared to be reminded of some tragic and horrific moments in history. 

I found the characters fully rounded and realistic. Some fiesty and whip smart, others caring and soft, the ones we want to hate can surprise us and there is always the opportunity for redemption. 

This is a must read. Now more than ever, we need to remember what atrocities have gone before so we don’t repeat them. I never thought I would ever see a public figure do a Nazi salute in my lifetime, meaning the Nazis in this book are not mere artist license but a real threat to peace and unity.

There is so much more I could say, but save me the trouble, and just read the book! I am sure you will love it. 
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