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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Ten reasons to like this book:
1. It’s a fight to save a community library, which in turn saves the community.
2. It’s a “coming of age” story for a grown woman rediscovering herself and her place In life.
3. It’s a story of trust and friendship.
4. It’s a story of messy family relationships.
5. It’s a book that explores how books bring us together, open minds, and help,shape our future. (As a retired librarian, this is my favorite thing about this book!)
6. The characters are well developed and realistic (for good and bad).
7. This book shows that libraries shouldn’t be still and stale and quiet. They should feel alive and buzzing with energy.
8. The people and events in this story show the Importance of history on the future.
9. It’s a story showcasing the need to stand up for yourself, your community, your beliefs, and what is right and true.
10. It’s a story of hope.
I enjoyed way the auther showed how sometimes things that appear inconsequential can make a huge improvement to people in a community.
So many wonderful characters by a writer who is so artful, descriptive and engaging.
You need to enjoy slow paced stories to pick up this, but it is well worth it.
Good story, variety of character personalities but the ending was predictable. Well written.
This was a great book. The characters were very complex and realistic.
As a former librarian, I was attracted to the book. I’d like to visit the setting of the novel and sit on the bench at the stone wall and gaze out to the sea. I listened to the audio edition and went back and read most of the kindle book as I missed some of the dialogue. I might do that more often.
I loved this book and it’s wonderdul characters!
Loved it then purchased the sequel
I loved the way the characters worked together as a community to create something for all
The setting is beautiful and the characters are richly drawn. I would definitely read this author again.
Great read…especially if you love reading and adventure.
My heart goes out to books set in Ireland.
Love being transported into a different reality… walking in the shoes of another woman.
A pure delight to enter the lives of characters who are connected by books through the eloquent writing of this book. I want to read it again next year when the weather turns dark and windy, mimicking this coastal setting.
I made it half way through. The author is a babbler…on & on about anything…got annoying to me
If you love Ireland this will be an interesting book.
Audible version. Enjoyed accent of reader and her variations of voice making it easy to keep characters straight. Delightful story, breezy presentation. When you want affirmation of
Community and goodness of people with diverse interests you will enjoy this read.
I don’t care for this type of story telling, it is too depressing for me.
Pleasant reading for a transition from a intense book