joehobson 's review for:

The Library Book by Susan Orlean

4.0

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On the surface, it's the story of the Los Angeles main library branch fire of 1986, but of course with Susan Orlean it's more than just that surface – it's what libraries mean to us, how we got here, and why and so much more.

“Even the oddest, most peculiar book was written with that kind of courage -- the writer's belief that someone would find his or her book important to read. I was struck by how precious and foolish and brave that belief is, and how necessary, and how full of hope it is to collect these books and manuscripts and preserve them. It declares that stories matter, and so does every effort to create something that connects us to one another, and to our past, and to what is still to come.”