Marydale Stewart

Slow start. And when it picks up, it isn't that much faster moving. It did a good job explaining/illustrating what libraries should be and the challenges they face. It has likeable characters but we don't ever get to really know them so investment in the story is lessened. And it makes the climatic moment actually anti climatic.

It was a tough one to get through because of the slow start. But I can't say I am sorry for sticking with it but I am also glad to move onto my next book in the queue.… (altro)

I received a free e-copy of this book in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program, in exchange for an honest review. I worked for 5-6 years as a library assistant in a small town branch library, so I have to admit that the library practices, censorship issues (and board oversight/relationships) and small town viewpoints rang true for me. Some of the free speech vs. religious control discussion seemed a bit too detailed (citing chapter and verse for ALA policies, for example). The book may offend some, may not sit well with others, but it does a pretty fair job, in my opinion, of laying out a vision of what a library SHOULD be for a community. Readable, even if a little preachy about the library's role, for a book that purports to be a novel. But I'm a public library fan. And cheered the book's library director on, as he tried to plot an ethical course for a board that didn't seem to understand its role in the library system.… (altro)

This novel is set in a small town in the midwest, the village of Linden, and centers around a conflict between an evangelical who happens to chair the library board and the library's staff. After hearing there is a book about what abortion is, the chair of the board insists that the library staff remove this book, and soon this turns into a call to weed the collection of anything offensive to this particular type of Christian sect. Woven throughout are (as other reviewers have mentioned) stories of a show horse and other personalities in the town. The political fights behind the story aren't exactly surprising; Stewart weaves this tale in our current political moment of fights between those advocating for free speech and others concerned about religious freedom. With all of that in mind, I found myself mostly enjoying this book ... it moved quickly and read easily, and it struck me as -- above all else -- quite realistic. However, it also felt more of an attempt to instruct than it was to entertain. I wouldn't call that a deal-breaker, but it did distract from my enjoyment of the novel a bit. Nevertheless, the story was interesting enough to keep me reading, and I did enjoy the shifting perspectives from the many vantage points in the story, especially once I got into the book far enough to keep all the characters separate in my mind. Overall, I'd recommend this book if you're interested in issues of censorship/free thinking, but otherwise, I'd probably give it a pass.

I received an Early Reviewer copy of this book in exchange for this review.… (altro)