Reviewed by Kristin
Jess Metcalfe has always enjoyed her quiet little life. Never
one to make changes just for the sake of variety, she simply loves her job at
the local library and loves living with her grandmother Mimi. However, suddenly
both her grandmother and her job are gone, and Jess feels shattered into
pieces. Even her best friend Hannah has her own new life with a new husband
11,000 miles away in New Zealand. Without Mimi, her job, or Hannah, Jess feels
she has nothing left in Bourton-on-the-Marsh.
In a very uncharacteristic and abrupt course of action, Jess
decides to sell Mimi’s house and buy a cottage in the English countryside. She
had chanced upon the cottage by accident one day while just driving in order to
clear her head. Before she knows it, Jess is the owner of the cottage that
comes complete with bats in the attic, a cranky but attractive male neighbor,
and an old red phone box at the edge of her property.
Tiny village life being what it is, everyone in Middlemas has
opinions on what Jess should do with the phone box. Drawing upon her former job
experience (and Mimi’s huge collection of books) she decides to open a lending
library. A little one. Perhaps the littlest one. Tiny, but with a huge heart. Soon
the entire community is borrowing and returning Mimi’s books that are so dear
to Jess.
This is a feel good story with no big surprises. A little
attraction/romance ensues, but I didn’t find that the slightest bit surprising.
The cover is attractive, and I would love to have a little library just like it
in my front yard (or maybe in my living room!) I especially enjoyed the parts
of this book where the community members are drawn together by the books, and
even find new meaning in their lives.
Poppy Alexander’s author bio says she wrote her first book
when she was five, spent many intervening years studying classical music, then
returned to a writing career. Her other novels have a holiday theme and are
titled 25 Days ‘til Christmas and The 12 Days of Christmas.
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