One of the things I miss about being a bookseller is the Advance Reader Copies we would receive by the boxful. Now that I work at a library, I have to wait until the release date for a new book, just like everyone else! So last fall, I was excited when Kari from Yankee Bookshop offered to lend me a copy of Kate Quinn’s forthcoming book, The Astral Library. She warned me that it is not the author’s usual historical fiction genre.
The Astral Library is a magic, infinite world of books, accessed from any library by those who have been invited. It is haunted by ghosts who are trying to get to the bottom of their to-be-read piles, books fly on their own, and, most importantly, individuals who have nowhere else to turn – orphans, battered wives, struggling creatives, etc. – can escape into a new story.
The trope of entering a novel is not new, nor is social commentary as part of a plot twist, but Kate Quinn handles both with humor and style. Maybe because I now work in a library, I laughed out loud when the Astral Librarian introduced herself:
“I’m the Librarian.” Her voice implied a capital L.
“Obviously.” Her appearance only included every single librarian cliche in the book. “Is that a title here, or a calling?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been petitioning the Library Board to change it to Book Dragon for a hundred years or so. Maybe in another hundred they’ll get around to a vote.”
And indeed she is a Book Dragon in the fiercest sense, battling a Board that is the embodiment of every evil corporate entity that sucks the life and soul out of social and cultural connections.
The power of words – spoken and on the printed page – has been a focus of my life for decades. How they are used varies widely. Facts attempt to build a structure. Fiction, or storytelling, may open a door to understanding. Humor can act as that spoonful of sugar to “make the medicine go down.” This novel celebrates words and ideas. The Library’s computer system is password-protected by a quote that changed itself on a whim. Near the middle of the story, our protagonist had to enter the password: “Libraries are full of ideas – perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.” This was after trying and failing to get into the files with the phrase “Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination.”
Quinn spices her scenes – in the present time and in the featured books, artworks, and even video games which the characters visit – with period costumes, going into colorful detail about historical fabrics and fashion, another interest of mine.
Is this high literature? No. Does it make interesting observations about our lives and times? Yes. Was it an enjoyable way to spend a cold, grey afternoon and evening? Definitely! The novel was released in late February so is now available at bookstores and in libraries.
And it never hurts to be reminded that “Libraries represent a community's commitment to care for and nourish hearts and minds,” to which I would add schools and bookstores!
Liza Bernard is a voracious reader who enjoys both printed volumes and audiobooks. Formerly co-owner of the Norwich Bookstore, she maintains her connections with readers and writers as the Programming and Marketing Librarian at the Norman Williams Public Library in Woodstock, Vermont.
