I want it thank NetGalley & Aria & Aries publishing for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

This book is about a young lad and an older woman who band together to save their local library. Through this fight they always help each other on their personal lives as well.

Tom who is struggling with school, bullies and an alcoholic father learns how to try to apply himself to his school work, standing up to his father about his future after school and help his dad realize he has a problem while also helping fill in a void for Tom since his mom died.

Maggie owns her own farm and lives on her own. The only times she travels into town is for the charity shops and to go to book club at the library. After taking Tom under her wing he helps her get her love of life back while also finding closure of her own past demons.

Parts of this story were dry but overall read at a good pace. The chapters were a good length and the different parts of the story did merge very well together. I feel like this is a very important book for people to read about facing adversary in their personal lives and against “the man” at large. It also shows that with the right steps fractured relationships have the change of mending and becoming stronger.

"The Library" was a very nice and relaxing read, with some relatable characters that will make you want to save (or at least, support) your local library!

The story takes place in the 2010s in the West Midlands countryside (UK). A place where there is not much happening and everyone lives their ordinary lives, such as Maggie the pensioner on her small farm, or Tom, the student preparing for his GSCEs while struggling to make friends, overcome his shyness, and interact with his father.
But beauty comes out of the ordinary, and it doesn't take much to change one's life trajectory. When Maggie and Tom meet a the Library, there isn't much that predestines them to become friends. Yet as they keep seeing each other - this is indeed what they become: friends. They also become allies, fighting a common fight to save the local library, which the council decided to close. The library sometimes end up in the background of the story, but Maggie and Tom keep gravitating around this vital place, a place of peace, magic, and solidarity, that is worth more than we might sometimes realise.

This was a feel-good book despite some deeper topics addressed throughout the book (alcoholism, abandon). I very much enjoyed seeing life through the eyes of a teenage boy and a pensioner, as these are rather unusual - yet relatable - characters to read about. I would recommend this book!

4.5 stars

Lastly, bonus point for the cover which is superb!

*I received a free eARC and this is my honest opinion*

Two different generations. Two unusual people. Thrown together to save their local library.
Tom is a teenager and blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.
Maggie is a pensioner and has been happily alone for ten years, at least that's what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue a friendship develops that could change her life.
They each set out to prove that the library isn't just about books – it's the heart of their community. Together they discover some things are worth fighting for.

At first, I had a little trouble getting into the story. Maybe because I didn't have much time to read. Then in one day, I read more than 60% of the book. I couldn't stop.

Although the bookstore is the focus of the book, there is much more to the story than that. I really liked the main characters, Tom and Maggie. You get very attached to them because they both have painful and tumultuous pasts. Despite their age difference, they are close (almost like a grandmother and grandson), and it was beautiful.

But it also has passages that give hope like with the bookstore. Tom, Maggie and the others fight against its closure. The book is touching: we laugh and we cry.

At the beginning of the book, I hated Paul, Tom's father, for what he was doing to his son. Then, little by little, we realize the pain and emptiness he feels inside. He finds optimism and the desire to live, the desire to fight for him and Tom. All this with the help of Maggie.

It is not a perfect story because painful themes are tackled like the alcoholism of a parent but also the loss of a close one but it is a touching story, which echoes the reality, what some people live.

Written from the point of view of Maggie, an older woman living alone in an isolated cottage, and Tom a 16 year old living with his alcoholic father who works nights , they have a voice in alternate chapters. They meet in the library and Tom tries to intervene when Maggie is attacked and her bag is stolen. They slowly begin to form a friendship which helps them both cope with issues in their lives. When Tom is in a desperate situation, he has nobody else to turn to and so calls Maggie.
I enjoyed the writing in this book, great descriptions of the people and places and great insight in the way of thinking of both the older woman and the teenage boy. The descriptions of living in a small village and the characters around are also spot on. The plot has a couple of twists which let you know that life is not always easy but on the whole it leaves you with the feeling that human behaviour is not all bad
Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you are reading this review you are probably a bit of a book addict, as am I. I will always reach for a book that is about a bookstore or library, takes place in one or is somehow connected to books!

The theme of this book is the possible closure of a local library, which is not a new premise. However this book is about so much more.

The library is where our two main protagonists will meet and become acquainted. The chapters are told in alternating points of view between Tom and Maggie.

Tom Harris feels as though he is invisible. “Not actually invisible – that would make me interesting and I’m not. I’m the person others find easy to forget. The one who is lost in the crowd.”

Tom is a high school student who has had a rough time of it. His mother died when he was quite young and it’s just been his dad and him for a long time. He has watched his father spiral further and further down into depression and alcoholism. Most nights, if his dad is not at work, he will be drinking and lying on the couch until he passes out. The two don’t have much to talk about and his dad doesn’t question much about what Tom does in the evenings. Tom’s only friends are the online buddies that he plays games on his Xbox with.

Maggie is 72 years young, she has been living alone for at least 10 years. She has a home and acreage with animals that she cares for. She keeps sheep for their fleece and enjoys caring for them. She likes her life but would like more people to interact with.

Maggie has come to the library for her weekly book club meeting. She comes for the company and a chance to interact with others. She has always loved the library, it’s sense of calm and “somewhere safe and quiet to run to and the library had never let her down.”

An event occurs after the meeting which will begin a friendship between Tom and Maggie. She seems to be just what Tom needs. He loves helping out at her farm and the delicious Sunday meals that she makes for him, it’s more fun cooking for two!!

Christine the librarian has received word that their library may soon be closed. So there is the fight for the library that both of them are involved in, but that is almost second place in this story.

This book addresses some heavy issues, grief, loss, alcoholism, father and son relationships, trust and more. It is told in such a way that still made for a great fictional read while encouraging us to reach out to others. Maybe there is someone out there who could use a friend or just some help?? AGE DOESN’T MATTER, A FRIEND IS A FRIEND!!


I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great character driven novel.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was a sweet story if growth and friendship. While not original, it is still a book lovers type of story. The power of the local library, intergenerational experience and a lovely reading list.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Aria Fiction for an e-arc of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. It did my heart good to read this. So nice to have a book that is clean. It was such a sweet story. I hope the author is planning another book around Tom and Maggie.

How refreshing this book is.

Set in England, we are introduced to Tom and Maggie. Tom is 16 years old and is dealing with the loss of his mother and his father his spiraling downwards. Maggie is 72 and is appears to be a happily retired woman working at the local library. When Tom enters one day asking to check out some books for his “mother”, Maggie has an instant connection to this young man.

This story takes place over a short period of time and captures so much emotion. Both characters have the opportunity to narrate their stories, and you realize they share a lot more in common despite their age difference. This story has charm, sadness, and triumph all wrapped up in a wonderful rich story.

This book is for anyone who loves a good library, but wants a more in depth story. There is a lot to unpack especially with Tom, but you will walk away smiling. Enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley and Aria for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heartwarming and fun. We all need a Maggie in our lives. I appreciated the relationship Between Tom and Maggie and how that relationship made each of them better people.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a delightful, heartwarming story of a friendship that grows between socially awkward 16-year-old Tom and lonely widow Maggie. The narrative carries you along and within a few pages you are immersed in each character's story.

What starts out as a simple tale of loneliness and friendship turns into a heart-wrenching story of teenage angst, alcoholism, and regrets from the past that come back to haunt them.

A beautifully written story that touches all of the emotions, right up to the wonderful end. Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria Fiction for the opportunity to read this book.

The Library was such an unexpected surprise! Tom Harris is an awkward 16 year old with an alcoholic father. Maggie is a 70 year old farmer with a story of her own. The two unlikely friends bonded over their love for books at their local library. Bella Osborne takes us on a journey to explore this story of loneliness, bereavement, alcoholism, community, and second chances. The book progressed at a much slower pace than I normally prefer, but it is so sweet and heartwarming! I really enjoyed the alternating POV, I just wish it was written through either first or third person.

Although the book is entitled The Library, the story focusses on the relationships between schoolboy Tom, his alcoholic father and Maggie, an old lady who befriends Tom at the library. The library in the village where they live is under threat of closure and Tom and Maggie help lead the fight to keep it open.
Tom and his father drift further apart and he goes to spend time with Maggie on her farm, discovering an interest in looking after livestock and developing a taste for home-grown vegetables..
The warm feelings of relationship support and networks is balanced by the harsh reality of alcoholism and the toll it takes on families and children especially, but the tone never gets too dark and stays generally bright and breezy.
There is resolution to all the problems that occur in the plot but I did feel that there was a naive approach to the library solution - just replacing the one member of staff with volunteers would not save the council much money - the building costs and the book fund are often passed over to the local parish or volunteers as well!
Maggie and Tom were engaging characters and I enjoyed spending time with them on Maggie's Farm.

Tom is a sixteen-year-old, socially awkward UK teenager who is being forced to make a difficult decision with no guidance. His mother died when he was eight years old, and his father, Paul, who was once happy and supportive is now falling through a downward spiral of debt and alcoholism. Increasingly, Paul is neglecting his duties as a father and is now pressuring Tom to give up his dream of going to University and instead get a job at the factory.

Maggie is a seventy-two-year-old woman who lives alone on her sheep farm. She is a bit feisty and wears red Doc Martens but she struggles with loneliness and also has a secret involving her son. Tom and Maggie meet one other at the local library which is slated to be closed down. As their unlikely friendship grows , Maggie becomes somewhat of a replacement mother to Tom as her father continues to decline. Will the library be saved? But the bigger question is how will things work out for this unlikely duo?

The story is told through the alternating perspectives of Tom and Maggie. I really enjoyed this writing style as it gave me “time” with each character and endeared them to me all the more.

The characterization was on point! The friendship between Tom and Maggie was so pure and unconditional. I would love to have a friend like Maggie, everyone should have a friend like her. It was nice to see how they cared for one another despite their different stages in life.

The story unfolds a little bit slowly at first but less than halfway through the pace picks up and we have our finale that ties together all the loose ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A well written - touching story.

Loved Tom and Maggie...

I went in with my own doubts but got into the flow and finished it at a go!

I cried and I smiled and was happy when I finished the book.

Overall, an engaging read.

This book was better than I initially thought it would be. I actually went in not knowing much about this one and I think that’s a good way to go. It was cool to see Maggie and Tom’s dynamics!

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

When you’re in the mood for a sweet, uplifting book…this is it. The news of the world is stressful enough and sometimes you just want everything to work out, and people to care for each other.

** spoiler alert ** The story is a wonderful story about how we find people we need at the right time. When Tom ends up at the library because he can't stand being near his alcoholic father, he finds escape at the library first through books and then by meeting Maggie who has been through her own challenges with drinking.
While staying with Maggie,because Tom's father is recovering an alcoholic binge, Tom finds satisfaction in working hard on her farm and that trying your best by studing for school test feels good and worthwhile. Maggie on the otherhand finds that caring again for someone else makes her happy as well and reconnected. It also stirs up old wounds that she doesn't know she wants to deal with. But the best part of the book is when they band together to save the library that has help them become happier and better at being with others. There are a lot of feel good moments in the book and it made me happy to find them.

I want to thank Aria & Aries, Aria and NetGalley for this wonderful story about reaching out to one another.

THis is a wonderfully told story about unlikely friendships. I loved it. It was so heartwarming to read about the developing relationship between Tom and Maggie.
Don't get me wrong, there was a TON of stuff to get through. like alcoholism, death, loneliness, etc. But it was a beautifully written story that was expertly told and I enjoyed it so much.
For anyone who loves a feel good story with lots of bumps in the road, READ THIS BOOK!
I encourage everyone to read it and find peace during this stressful time.

An easy to read book about two unlikely friends who try to save their local library. It's a great concept for a story, especially to a book lover! I thought the dual points of view was a nice way to structure the book and it was like a heartwarming story.

This is the second ARC that I’ve read this year about an inter-generational friendship forged in a failing library between two very different people who end up bonding despite differences in age, sex, life experience, and circumstance, so I expected to find it redundant. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by how earnest and heartfelt it was. While things did get nicely wrapped up in the end, there was no illusion that everything was fixed or perfect— just getting better. As a librarian, I always love a story focused around libraries and books (and always enjoyed a name drop of whatever book Tom was reading). I also enjoy the genre of “elderly lonely person finds connection with someone younger.”