This was ok for me. I wanted more Gothic vibes and sadly there weren't really any, in my opinion. I did enjoy the mystery and some of the twists.

I couldn't really get into our MC. She came off a little judgy and even slightly racist at times , and I was also very confused as to why we kept getting info into how promiscuous she was as a young girl.

The second half of the book fell off for me, and I felt that the ending was flat. I did enjoy the author's writing and I would be interested in reading another book by them.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé is a captivating and thought-provoking tale that masterfully blends mystery, adventure, and the power of literature. The story follows a young librarian who stumbles upon a hidden world of forbidden books and secrets that could change everything. Shenjé’s writing is rich and evocative, bringing the library itself to life as both a sanctuary and a place of danger. The protagonist’s journey is filled with twists and turns, as they uncover deeper layers of knowledge and power, all while navigating the complexities of trust and loyalty. The Library Thief is a must-read for book lovers and fans of imaginative, layered narratives that explore the magic of stories and the lengths people will go to protect them.

I was hoping this one was for me, but it was not.

The cover is beautiful, the story not so much.

There are so many different themes in this book, and honestly it's kind of exhausting.
Also i love historical fiction and it pulls me right out of the story when they use words or phrases that were not used in the novel timeline.

This one wasn't a win for me.

“She clearly wanted to swim in the misery of her grief.”

The protagonist in The Library Thief, Florence Granger, was forced to walk a very fine line between black and white. She was born to a white father and a Jamaican mother, and was taken from her mother from birth. The first thing that mentioned is that Florence’s father made sure her hair was hot combed regularly so that her very light skin and her pressed hair would show that she indeed would appear white. As being Black during that era was an undesirable thing, Florence’s anxiety would rise significantly if her curls started to appear, showing that the nature of her hair is quite different than other white people where she lives.

However, Florence became involved in a scandal that came into the picture that had nothing to do with race. Unmarried and pregnant, her father throws her out. Previously trained by her father who was a bookbinder, she takes a job at the expansive Rose Hall. Florence is hoping that her appearance as being white would permit her to work on this project. However, there was an a break-in and a fire in the grand library. Apparently nothing was stolen, but immediately Florence recognized something in the fire. It was a book, a diary of sorts, partially burned, but she is certain it is something of significance.

Passing for white was not always easy for Florence. But putting that aside, she really wants to restore the library at Lord Francis Belfield's library. When Florence arrived at Rose Hall, she notices with curiosity that it is not bustling in activity as one might expect, And apparently, she soon realizes that she is not the only one that is involved in a scandal. As the story progresses, we see that there are albino’s and other light skinned people that are trying to pass as white. The judgment that is experienced is almost beyond belief for us in our day. Quite naturally, anyone of the Black race did not have the freedom of marriage between races at that time.

There’s something intriguing in the Author’s Note. She mentioned the Windrush Generation, which piqued her curiosity after reading a book with that phrase. This inspired her to write this book. Naturally, I had to look up what the Windrush Generation was. It was a post-war migration to Britain by West Indian people traveling to the United Kingdom. The name “Windrush” came from the name of the ship that carried them. This migration occurred in 1948 and continued until after World War II.

As a dedicated reader, it is always interesting to see what inspires an author to write a book. However, I felt that this book was rather long and almost repetitive in some ways, even though my eyes were opened more about the struggles that people of my race experienced at that time.

I thought I’d mention a rather interesting that phrase that comes up in this book - tabula rasa. This is quite significant to see the path that individuals are often forced to travel. Children are born completely innocent, devoid of any knowledge or experience. So as I read Victorian era story, it was very intriguing to see how race and gender affected people during those days.

Many thanks to Hanover Square Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book. Coming into it I wasn’t sure what to expected but at the urging of a friend I find that this story was captivating and right up my alley. While the pacing in the beginning was a bit slow, it wasn’t unbearable.

A compelling read with a beautiful setting and plot twists I did not really see coming. I enjoyed the underpinnings of resistance with the women, queers, and Black people taking ownership of their own lives in whichever ways they could. I was also very amused how the main character tried to solve a "murder" when this wasn't anything she needed to do and she got EVERYTHING wrong. It made me feel better about how dumb I am about solving crimes in mystery novels (I cannot solve crimes I never see it coming).

This book had us discussing all the parts we loved and were intrigued by in the story development. Everybody in the group had differing opinions, which is a sign of a well-written book. I enjoyed reading a book not set in the US and was captivated by the mystery and the intrigue of who was behind everything. I wasn't able to guess it until the very end, but I enjoyed being on the journey of discovery with all the characters:)

The Library Thief takes place. In Victoria England in 1896. Florence is the daughter of a book binder. After she brings ,a scandal son his house, he throws her out. Having to fend for herself she uses her smarts to steal a huge customer from her father. Soon she will have to figure out how she will bind all the books in Lord Belfelds library. She soon discovers many secrets within the walls of this diary.
This story was well thought out and well told. I loved it.

Because it was listed as a Gothic mystery, I was a little nervous that it was going to be scary., but that was not the case. It was such an wild ride of a read with a lot of racial undertones (because that was the norm during that time period), as well as secrets and a mystery that will have you guessing who done it right up until the very end. It was very well written and such an entertaining read.

After her father throws her out, Florence manages to get work as a bookbinder restoring the rare books in the library at Rose Hall, but winds up in a mystery finding out what happened to the Lord's wife. The more she uncovers, including her own unknown heritage, the more complex the mystery becomes. Overall, the time period and the historical relevance are the strengths of this book but the plot and prose are somewhat scattered and at times, hard to follow.

This book suddenly disappeared from my NetGalley Shelf app when I still had 3 weeks left to complete it. I have no idea where it went or where to look, or even who to report this issue to. As a result, my review cannot be considered wholly accurate or fair. What I did manage to read before the book disappeared, however, was not very good. The story wasn't compelling, and I hated the way the author chose to write out how characters with working class accents spoke rather than just letting it be or saying something like "he had a Cockney accent" or "he was Northern." It was annoying and offensive, and distracted me from the story anytime a character was written as speaking like that.

I love historical fiction, so I was very excited when I read the premise of this book.

It's 1896 and Florence Granger is the daughter of a bookbinder, who has been kicked out of her home after bringing scandal to her father. Luckily she intercepts a letter from one of her father's clients to restore his home library in Lancashire, and travels there under the premise of being sent by her father.

Once she arrives at Rose Hall she talks her way into restoring the many rare books held in Lord Francis Belfield, who is a little hesitant of her presence since she arrived alone without a male escort, against his better judgement he hires her for the job.

Then one night, the library is broken into but nothing of value seems to have been taken. Florence soon finds a half-burned book that turns out to be the diary of Persephone, who is Lord Francis' dead wife. As she reads the diary a mystery begins to unravel.

I enjoyed this book, it was a bit slow in the beginning but everything ended up coming together nicely.

I love to read about libraries and librarians. Bonus when they are historical, mystery and thrillers. This book did have the historical and mystery bonus. Not sure exactly what it was about this book, but it didn't pull me in as much as I would have liked. I did like the twists.

I was thrilled to take part in the Harper-Collins blog tour for the new novel The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé. This story had a true Gothic feel to it, and I enjoyed the somewhat creepy ambience and mysterious atmosphere it held! I also loved the strong female protagonist. Thanks for my copy and having me on the tour!

A strikingly original and absorbing mystery about a white-passing bookbinder in Victorian England and the secrets lurking on the estate where we she works, for fans of Fingersmith and The Confessions of Frannie Langton

The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained.

1896. After he brought her home from Jamaica as a baby, Florence's father had her hair hot-combed to make her look like the other girls. But as a young woman, Florence is not so easy to tame—and when she brings scandal to his door, the bookbinder throws her onto the streets of Manchester.

Intercepting her father's latest commission, Florence talks her way into the remote, forbidding Rose Hall to restore its collection of rare books. Lord Francis Belfield's library is old and full of secrets—but none so intriguing as the whispers about his late wife.

Then one night, the library is broken into. Strangely, all the priceless tomes remain untouched. Florence is puzzled, until she discovers a half-burned book in the fireplace. She realizes with horror that someone has found and set fire to the secret diary of Lord Belfield's wife–which may hold the clue to her fate…

Evocative, arresting and tightly plotted, The Library Thief is at once a propulsive Gothic mystery and a striking exploration of race, gender and self-discovery in Victorian England. (Goodreads Synopsis)

I kept points because the themes throughout this novel should be read about. How difficult life was for women, but especially for women of color. However, there were too many themes, and it soon became distracting. Which storyline or character development that might have been important to the overall mystery became confusing.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

I choose to read The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé because, well... library! Add to that the potential of a thief and a mystery and the book becomes even more promising. This book, however, is not much of a mystery and not very much about the actual library or the books. Florence's story is interesting and ends in an unexpected way. However, I do wish a book that has library in the title was more about the library and the books!

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/06/the-library-thief.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour.

Florence has been kicked out by her father. She has come across a letter to her father, a book binder, asking him to come and restore an old library. Florence decides to take this on her own and heads to Rose Hall. But she soon discovers many secrets!

I started to read this book physically and I just couldn’t get into it. So, I got it on audio from the library. I have a bit more patience with an audiobook. I did finish it but it was not a favorite.

When this book begins, your heart goes out to Florence but as the story moves along, I just didn’t like her very much. Then there is the middle section. Now, I am not a prude, but there were like 2-3 chapters that were just about Florence and her past sexual experiences. (She is a bit of a harlot 😂😂). I was like…why are we talking about this now. 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Now, I did enjoy the time period of Victorian England and learning about the hidden race in some of the characters. Pretty unique…all the lies surrounding some of the characters. The story itself is a bit spastic and scattered.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I was intrigued by the title of this book, but it was not what I was expecting. I found the characters unlikable and I couldn’t relate to them. I found some things about the story interesting and my favorite part was the fact that they got away in the end. This book was just not for me.

I was interested in reading this after seeing a piece on it on NPR. While I enjoyed the time frame and the different historical perspective, it just wasn't for me. I found Florence, the narrator, to be uninteresting and ended up skimming quite a bit. This story just wasn't for me.