"A book for booklovers about a gem of a quintessentially British village library and the community of people who use it and rally round after threat of closure. "
June Jones is a library assistant who has not moved much further than her fiction section. It’s where she grew up and it feels like home. She picks up the role after her mum passes away, and what tough shoes they are to fill.
Incredibly shy and socially awkward June is forced to come out of her comfort zone and fight for what she believes in when the library is forced with closure.
It’s such a warm and uplifting story of community, of kindness, of love and libraries. And along the way you really come to care for the characters who frequent the library: from Stanley Phelps, the Wodehouse-like gentleman who enjoys WWII historical fiction to the irascible Mrs B who complains about every book, to romance lover Linda.
This heart-warming tale takes you on a journey through books and characters, reminding you of everything you’ve ever read since you were a child. It’s a story of personal growth, of finding strength, the importance of friendships and love. I devoured it.
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| Primary Genre | Romance / Relationship Stories |
| Other Genres: |
You can tell a lot about a person from the library books they borrow
Library assistant June knows a lot about the regulars at Chalcot Library, yet they know very little about her. When her mum - the beloved local librarian - passed away eight years ago, June stepped into her shoes. But despite their shared love of books, shy June has never felt she can live up to the village's memory of her mum. Instead, she's retreated into herself and her memories, surviving on Chinese takeaways-for-one and rereading their favourite books at home.
When the library is threatened with closure, a ragtag band of eccentric locals establish the Friends of Chalcot Library campaign. There's gentlemanly pensioner Stanley, who visits the library for the computers and the crosswords, cantankerous Mrs B, who is yet to find a book she approves of, and teenager Chantal, who just wants a quiet place to study away from home. But can they compel reclusive June to join their cause?
If June wants to save the library, she finally has to make some changes to her life: opening up her heart to friendship, opportunities and maybe even more . . .
The Last Library features in the following genres: Modern and Contemporary Fiction, Modern and Contemporary romance, Romance / Relationship Stories, Fiction, General Fiction
The Last Library is available in Paperback, Hardback
The Last Library was written by Freya Sampson and published by Zaffre
The Last Library has 364 pages
£9.89