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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I enjoyed it. I liked reading about Ireland which I know little about
Good book about strong women who support each other.
Really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the plot.
The characters in the story were very real. They faced real problems. The story was good. I learned a lot about rural Ireland. The scenery was described beautifully.
I loved visiting this area of Ireland. So enjoyed this story
If you’re a fan of Jenny Colgan, you’ll love this book.
A pleasant read and no more.
A good breezy read that took me away from my present day concerns!
Loved it
It was OK. Nothing I would want to read again.
Good story, well written. Takes you to Ireland, believable.
Good story line, but the characters were sometimes a bit much. The troubles of the ‘government’ versus the little people theme is universal, of course, but obviously works here in back roads Ireland. The heroine is a bit thickheaded, but eventually softens up a bit and seems to realize that a library is a holy place, but not necessarily ‘sacred.’ The subplot with the pigheaded Mom is funny, till it gets a bit much.
I love books and I love Ireland. This was a great mix of the two, along with some great characters. I was happy to realize this was a series, so I didn’t have to stop with just one book.
I loved this book! The main character had human flaws and some family discord but worked at solving things not changing people. Very like real life
It was a entertaining easy read. Look forward to sequels.
It was entertaining and a good read!
Couldn’t get in it.
I loved this book. It was my first time reading this author, but it will not be my last. The style and craft are excellent. The characters are believable and sympathetic, and they develop over time. The setting is beautifully described without excessive adjectives.
A wonderful story of small ,quaint villages in rural Ireland. It highlights the clashes within families and generations, big towns VS villages. Woven throughout is a thread of neighborliness, self preservation and innovation. I look forward to reading the 2nd book in the series.
Though the book is a little difficult to get into at the beginning. It’s worth hanging in there, though. There are a lot of characters to keep up with. The fact that I listened to the audiobook made it more difficult to keep up with the number of people. I found myself yearning for a vacation in Ireland and hoping to find a sense of community that Hanna discovers.