Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people - though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she's invisible.
All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend - her grandmother Zelda - who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda's past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.
I had utterly no clue what this book was about. Basically, I needed a book recommended on BookBub for a reading challenge, and I found this on a list of books that featured libraries and bookstores. I thought the summary made it sound light, mysterious, and kinda cozy. Little did I know just what I was in for...
Okay, so this book hit me hard. Recently I've been dealing with my own family issues, with my grandmother, who's lived with me for the last 20 years, passing this spring, watching tensions rise between my grandfather and my mother, having a very distant father, and trying to manage various financial stresses in 2021. So when this book came along with its own story about family tensions, the stresses and responsibility of caring for ailing parents, the passing of said parents, and more...well, I cried. Hard. More than once.
As this is a character story, most things I'd normally talk about kinda verge on spoilers, so I apologize in advance if this seems shorter than usual.
Martha was a treat to read, though she mirrored me in more ways than I'd like to admit. Very much a people-pleaser, she's spent the majority of her life going out of her way to make sure others' needs are met. Whether it's volunteering at the library, staying home to care for her aging parents through their later years, or filling her home and Wonder Woman notebook with other people's projects, Martha is addicted to the praise of others. She's also terrified of who she would be without that praise, placing all her self-worth on being useful to others and taking no consideration for her own likes (apart from books) or needs. And yeah, I can definitely relate, at least on some level.
Most of her self-worth hangups stem from a complicated family life, which is revealed slowly throughout the book. It's obvious that there's some mystery and drama surrounding her maternal grandmother, Zelda, but unwrapping that history takes the better part of the book, coming slowly layer by layer. And while the majority of the story unfolds in present-day, I was surprised when we suddenly got chapters from Betty's, Martha's mother's, perspective, transporting us back to the 70s and 80s, and giving us insight into Martha's childhood and the drama surrounding Zelda's disappearance. I didn't expect to fall in love with a deceased character, but here we are.
I also didn't expect to find all the bookish references, let alone recognize most of them—though I suppose I should have, since it has "Library" in the title and has a librarian for a main character. From Martha's love of Alice in Wonderland to her pulling out modern YA books like Percy Jackson and The Maze Runner for her niece and nephew, there were plenty of nods to literature woven in. We even get snippets from that book of fairy tales that sparked this entire story, which were delightfully imaginative and somewhat bittersweet, but I'll let you discover their magic for yourself.
Honestly, I want you to discover most of this book's magic for yourself, but here are a couple more enticements I think I can give. Love and acceptance are major themes in this book, so it may come as no surprise that there are LGBTQIA+ characters. What may come as a surprise is that them being LGBTQIA+ doesn't factor into their plots one bit. There is no drama about them being in a same-sex relationship, nor any fuss thrown about a character having a non-traditional gender identity (their story is very much tertiary, so it's mostly speculation without confirmation), rather these aspects are just a part of these characters as much as their hair color would be. More of this, please—loved it!
I also loved the story's general emphasis on and support of later-in-life changes. While it's important to examine your past and learn from it, it's also not too late to change things in the present or plan for the future. And with a main character in her (never outright stated, but somewhat mathematically supported) 40's, let's just say it gave me (at 34) a lot of hope for my own prospects. Whether it be applying for a new job, mending relationships or forging new ones—even romantic ones—there truly doesn't seem to be any limit besides the ones you place on yourself, and you can always, always change your mind and try something new.
Overall, this story devastated me but in the best way possible. I went in mostly unassuming, with it not being in my typical genres or demographic, and was utterly blindsided with how much I related to these characters and their doubts, their fears, their regrets, and their struggles. But by the same token, as they were built back up with changes and support, I too came out the other side with a feeling of reassurance and hope. The literary lean didn't hurt things either. I'd highly recommend this for anyone looking for something about later-life changes, self-discovery, self-improvement, family drama and reconciliation, or the importance of love, support, and moving forward. So for anyone who is feeling a bit lost right now—let's face it, there are plenty of us—you might just find a little bit of comfort within this book's pages.
Read by Imogen Church
Unabridged Length: 10.5 Hours
Listened at 2.25x Speed
Unabridged Length: 10.5 Hours
Listened at 2.25x Speed
There are some books, like Hitchhiker's Guide or Stardust, which I feel are best read with a British narrator—even just in my own head—just based on their rhythm and pacing. It's hard to say whether this book necessitated it or not, seeing as I jumped in with the audio not giving me a choice, but I think I appreciated it nonetheless. It served as a bit of a setting in itself, since the UK is never directly mentioned, and while I can't recall the book having any huge British-isms, there were certainly enough small ones (candy floss vs cotton candy) that I was glad for the clarification.
Beyond that, Ms. Church provided a huge range of voices, from the surly and serious Thomas to the tittering Branda, each distinct and with tons of personality. There was never a question of who was whom, nor what mood someone was in. There was even a point where a character has a sore throat, and Imogen matched the sound perfectly.
The only difference between the audio and text I could find was fairly early on: Martha is recounting what various people's evening plans are, and she states that Suki is making "something Japanese" in the audio, but it's "a cheese and onion pie" in the digital copy. I'm sure it's just a case of the text being edited after the recording had gone through (I assume to change the stereotypical cuisine being associated with someone named Suki, who, though never stated as a foreigner [and doesn't have any noticeable accent difference from the rest of the cast], constantly has difficulty with the English language), but I do bring it up because it's referenced a couple times.
Overall, I was enchanted by this production from start to finish. The reading pace was slightly slower than (my) usual, but those who have difficulty with accents will probably appreciate that. No difficult names or vocabulary to trip over, but I certainly appreciated the narration moving me along through the (many) teary moments. The stellar voicework alone has me recommending this production for newcomers and audiobook veterans alike. So definitely don't hesitate to find this at your local library and fall in love along with me.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Let me hear you howl!