November 2017 LibraryReads PickIn the bestselling tradition of Fannie Flagg and Jenny Colgan comes Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s U.S. debut about a local librarian who must find a way to rebuild her community and her own life in this touching, enchanting novel set on Ireland’s stunning West Coast.As she drives her mobile library van between villages of Ireland’s West Coast, Hanna Casey tries not to … Coast, Hanna Casey tries not to think about a lot of things. Like the sophisticated lifestyle she abandoned after finding her English barrister husband in bed with another woman. Or that she’s back in Lissbeg, the rural Irish town she walked away from in her teens, living in the back bedroom of her overbearing mother’s retirement bungalow. Or, worse yet, her nagging fear that, as the local librarian and a prominent figure in the community, her failed marriage and ignominious return have made her a focus of gossip.
With her teenage daughter, Jazz, off traveling the world and her relationship with her own mother growing increasingly tense, Hanna is determined to reclaim her independence by restoring a derelict cottage left to her by her great-aunt. But when the threatened closure of the Lissbeg Library puts her personal plans in jeopardy, Hanna finds herself leading a battle to restore the heart and soul of the Finfarran Peninsula’s fragmented community. And she’s about to discover that the neighbors she’d always kept at a distance have come to mean more to her than she ever could have imagined.
Told with heart and abundant charm, The Library at the Edge of the World is a joyous story about the meaning of home and the importance of finding a place where you truly belong.
“Heart-warming . . . reminiscent of Maeve Binchy and Roisin Meaney.”—Irish Examiner
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Interesting subject, a librarian in a rural setting.
This was a truly wonderful tale, in the same vein as Maeve Binchy’s great stories set in Ireland. You’ll be, like me, sad to come to the last pages!
A tender story of a reluctant activist.
Gentle, sweet, and sometimes surprising (both the reader AnD the main character).
The author is the heir to Maeve Binchey. Wonderful story that forced me to buy the entire set of books. It was the perfect read to take us away from current events; well-written, evocative, and charming without being sweet. Characters very realistic and the setting was marvelous.
An all around fun read.
I will go back later and try this book again. I could not get into the whole story.
Well written, it held my attention.
A very unsympathetic main character and a rather dull story.
I started it cause I lived in Ireland for 14 yrs. and recognized the places, but also remembered the crass language that I constantly had to battle. Saying this, the author did capture the culture and the harsh family life and pain.
I have had trouble getting back to it as it’s not as compelling as other books.
The first in a series of books about a fictional town in Ireland. It is a good story… so good I bought the next 2 books and am on order for the next. It is not a fluff book, but it is easy to read. I can hear the characters speaking with an Irish accent as I’m reading it. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
It took awhile to like the leading character but as she opened to the community so did my admiration for her. It was a good reminder that even prickly people can charm you if everyone’s in for the right reason.
Great story, very detailed descriptions and enough plot to keep it interesting. At times, the descriptors got in the way however and caused the book to drag. Overall, a good book!
I thought it was a good book, but not a great book. It held my interest, so I read the whole book.
I just finished this book. The heroine of this book returns from London to a small place back in Ireland where she works as a librarian. All the characters are well developed. After her divorce she struggles financially and her mother is not exactly helpful. The person who starts to renovate a house her grandmother used to own is quite a character. Anyway, I recommend it as a well written, interesting book.
I enjoyed the book, but sometimes found it a little mundane.
I found the detailed descriptions to be rather boring. The story would have been better served without so much descriptive detail. I preferred the sequel Summer At the Garden Cafe.
A woman on her own trying to change her life. Well, written. I enjoyed it.
It rambled on without getting any where. No interest in characters as we never got to know them. I stopped reading it 2/3 of the way through. Waste of my time. Sorry.
I loved the setting of this novel on a largely rural Irish peninsula with small villages struggling to survive. I also found this book challenging. Some of the principal characters had strong personalities which did not lead to them being immediately likable. Fortunately, they became more complex as their past relationships were revealed. I loved the development of a retired nun and a gruff home refurbisher and man of all trades who help the main character to find purpose and resolve many of her past resentments. There are strong mother daughter relationships and ones that are fractured. There are intrigues between the struggling villagers and the urban politicians who seem totally unaware of their needs. There are hints of romances to come. Finally, there is a second novel to continue the story.