Really enjoyed this! Loved the multiple timelines, loved the story, loved the characters, loved that the project really existed and enjoyed learning about this time period in the Western United States. My historical fiction book club will be discussing it this week and I have a feeling everyone will have enjoyed it too!

The idea for The Boxcar Librarian is fantastic, but the execution lacked throughout. Labuskes tries to create a historical mystery that is not well developed when she could have focused on the history of the boxcar library and truly written a worthy historical fiction novel.

Told through the voices of Colette, Alice, and Millie, The Boxcar Librarian shares 20th-century Montana history of union disputes, copper mining, The Great Depression, and the need for information access. It looks at the development of information access in rural areas, and also the impact of big business on limiting access to their employees. It shares the harsh realities of seasons in Montana and the poverty of the Great Depression. It solves an unnecessary mystery. Each of these concepts works individually, but not together. I wanted another story like The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, which also wasn't perfect, but shared the stories of the people much better than this novel. In the end, it's not a bad novel, it's just not the best. Colette's story was forced into Alice's and Millie's stories, and none of them worked well together.

The Boxcar Librarian, while interesting in its cast of characters and story, is mislabeled as LGBTQIA+. One brief mention of a sapphic relationship does not make this a queer novel. This is representation if, perhaps, this was 1999. This is not a queer novel, this is just life. It is disheartening seeing books misrepresented like that, as I was looking forward to that being a bigger part of the plot and was my main draw to the story as a lesbian.

While I didn't like all of the characters and having three points of view was a little confusing at times. I did enjoy this 1930s dual time novel that while set during the depression didn't feel depressing. As someone who loves learning about didn't type of libraries I loved learning that before the famous Pack Horse Librarians of Eastern during the depression taking books into the mountains their was a boxcar library attached to a mining train that got books to miners in Montana. I know what to find all the material I can on The Boxcar library.

DNF I couldn’t get into the story. I finished only 25%. Since I did not finish I won’t post on social media sites.

A fascinating look at life in Montana during the mining boom. I didn’t know much about this time period and found this book so well researched that I couldn’t help but learn more than I could have ever imagined, including the restrictive contracts and politics associated with the companies that ran these mines. I found the premise of a boxcar library ingenious and was happy to discover that it was real and can still be visited. The three characters were well-developed later on in the book but I felt the beginning started slowly and I couldn’t really get a sense of them. I also think this could have been shorter but I did enjoy the story overall.

I love a good historical novel based on a true story. What an interesting period/topic to build a story around. I did not know about the state guides funded by the government during the Depression. Loved the strong, resilient female characters.

I loved this book. I never knew that there was a boxcar library. I love historical fiction, it makes me want to learn more about the boxcar librarian.

Based on the true story of the Lumberman’s Library and the Works Progress Administration’s writing project, the novel captures the feelings, atmosphere and some of the desperation of those times. Millie is sent to Montana to work on the American Guide Series, but also to figure out who sabotaged the submission of notes. A second main character is Alice Monroe, a librarian in Montana who was the daughter of a tycoon. Colette is the third main character, the daughter of a union organizer, also obsessed with the power off books. What I loved most in the book was the emphasis on the variety and richness of our history. “ We are a country of beautiful and flawed and strong and cowardly and happy and fearful and loving people. And we will always be stronger together”. I highly recommend this well written and absorbing work of historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A compelling historical novel that weaves mystery, politics, and the power of books. I loved the setting—Depression-era Montana—and the way the story highlights the resilience of women and the role of libraries in connecting people. The mystery of the Boxcar Library kept me hooked, and the blend of real history with fiction made it even more fascinating. A great read for fans of historical fiction and stories about the impact of books in unexpected places.

After loving The Librarian of Burned Books, I was eager to read The Boxcar Librarian. Brianna Labuskes is excellent at weaving history, mystery, and a bit of romance into engaging novels that keep you engaged until the last page! This book is perfect for booklovers, and those who enjoy historical fiction.

A great addition to the historical fiction genre. This story follows three different women who had involvement with a boxcar library. It's based on a true story and if you like books, libraries, and a bit of romance it is pretty fascinating. You have to work a bit to follow the jumps in the timeline, but it all comes together neatly at the end. It definitely sparked my interest in American history.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Readers should love it. And libraries will want to make a display around it.

The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Lubuskes is my first book this author. The story follows three women during 1920s to 1930’s depression era. It is based on the true events of an actual Boxcar Library. The Boxcar Library went from mining camp to mining camp in Montana. This book is considered Historical Fiction and how one woman’s love of reading and her desire to help those less fortunate change a community.

The three main characters are Millie, Collete and Alice. The three women’s lives converge due to their love of books and their belief that books can change lives, particularly when times are so tough and hope hard to come by.

Alice is the daughter of the Mayor. It is just her and her father. Her father is extremely protective of her because of her illness as a child. She has been traveling to mining camps close to her home to give out books. She would like to figure out a way to get to mining camps that are too far away for her to travel in a day.

Colette is the daughter of a miner and a union leader. Her father’s love of books played a major role in her childhood. She witnesses the death of her father, and she is seeking revenge.

Millie is a transplant from Texas by way of DC. She works for the WPA as an editor. The government has created a program where they write guide books for each part of the country to encourage Americans to travel across the United States. As part of this program Millie is sent to Montana to investigate the loss of guide book information that was supposed to be sent to the Capital.

Brianna's writing draws you to see the beauty of Montana. You can smell the pine, feel the bumpy roads, see the church and main streets and picture the railroad camps.

This story has it all. There is mystery, romance, history, tragedy and heartache. This story also encompasses courage, forgiveness, grit, love and friendship.

My only complaint was that it was a tad difficult to follow at the beginning. Being a Bibliophile myself I enjoyed the various books mentioned and quoted throughout the book. The journal at the end of the story tells how the author first learned about Boxcar Libraries and there are more facts and details that add to the interesting history.

If you like reading about the impact of books during the Depression and want to learn some history about Montana in the process, this is a terrific read. The plot is always twisting and turning with memorable characters than I would recommend this book.

I would like to thank the author, William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Boxcar Librarian is a poignant and beautifully written historical novel that captures the resilience of the human spirit during one of America’s most challenging eras. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the story follows a determined young woman who transforms an abandoned boxcar into a traveling library, bringing knowledge, comfort, and hope to struggling communities.

The Boxcar Librarian is a powerful and beautifully written historical novel that captures the resilience of the human spirit during one of America’s most challenging eras. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the story follows a determined young woman who transforms an abandoned boxcar into a traveling library, bringing knowledge, comfort, and hope to struggling communities.
The author masterfully depicts the economic and emotional hardships of the 1930s, illustrating the stark realities of poverty, displacement, and societal barriers. The reader is transported to dusty backroads and rural landscapes, where books become a rare and precious source of escape. The main protagonist is compelling in her unwavering dedication to literacy and education.

The novel does an excellent job of balancing heartfelt historical storytelling with a compelling mystery. As the protagonist pieces together clues—faded letters, cryptic symbols, and whispered town secrets—her journey becomes about more than just books; it’s about uncovering the truth. The slow unraveling of this hidden past adds layers of suspense to an already rich narrative, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. Fans of historical fiction who love a touch of mystery will find The Boxcar Librarian a fascinating and heartfelt novel.

The Boxcar Librarian is about an old mining train that delivered books. Two women, Alice and Colette, went out to deliver books but only Alice returned. Later, in the 1930's, Works Progress Administration (WPA) editor Millie Lang wants to find the answer to this mystery.

I wanted to read this book because I love historical fiction, love books about libraries, and found the Depression setting interesting and unique.

This is a beautifully written book. The author did a wonderful job at interweaving several storylines at once. The mystery of the story added to my reading enjoyment.

I recommend The Boxcar Librarian for other fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in this time period.

Another five star read from Brianna Labuskes!

This story jumps around & zooms in on various points in the early 1900’s timeline, specifically in the lives of three women: Alice, Colette, & Millie. Their lives eventually connect through various circumstances revolving around the library that Alice decided to put together in a boxcar that travels the railway lines connecting various work camps. The part of the book focusing on the struggles of unionization hit a little close to home (reading this in a country that was just put on a watchlist due to declining civil liberties), but the message of community through the written word that this author wove into the foundation of the book gives a reader hope.

Thank you very much to NetGalley & William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A solidly plotted and enjoyable Historical Fiction novel that showcases really excellent setting and sense of place.

This is a dual timeline history that suffered a bit from the fact that the timelines are too close together, but it’s a very good story that incorporates a lot of separate elements of American history and blends them well into a single story.

I loved how well-rendered the setting and cultural atmosphere of both Montana and the United States in general was, as well as how the characters have been developed to best express that.

I think the author also really understands how to write true historical fiction, the kind that isn’t bogged down by either tragedy porn or excessive focus on romantic subplots. The characters and the location are the stars here, as well as the power of books and reading.

If I had a gripe about this book it’s that Millie doesn’t really need to be there, and is mostly just a tool to continue the earlier timeline. Perhaps a single timeline approach that incorporates tue WPA project midway would have been a better way to go.

Still, this is well paced, sweet without being saccharine, and visually evocative in the way that the best Historical Fiction needs to be.

This was such a good book! The fact that it is inspired by true events was cool as well! Great writing and great story!

I mostly focus now on Queer stories written by Queer authors but now and again, I’ll read a book just because it looks good and the main characters are women. The Boxcar Librarian caught my attention because it is based on the real women who went to the mining and lumberjack camps out west during the Great Depression, armed with train cars full of books, enticing the hardcore laborers to become repeat patrons of a traveling library. Another aspect of the book that hooked me was how the country created jobs for the artists and writers who were out of work during those financially desperate times, part of President Roosevelt’s WPA.

The book splits between three main characters and three timelines, Colette, the daughter of a union leader, Alice, the daughter of a wealthy town mayor, and Millie, an editor for the American Guide Series which put local writers to work documenting the wonders in their state.

Gradually, the three individual stories unfold and converge into one big messy, emotional tale. There is also violence and a mystery. I liked all three women, their strengths and vulnerabilities are up front during times when a woman is supposed to be a backdrop, not the main voice. The book is also about worker’s rights, merciless companies, and finally, the beauty of our nation. I also liked the author’s main theme of the power of story and books, how they can revolutionize an individual, a community, and a country.

This is no romance and if you blink, you miss the fact that Colette slept with men and women. I only mention it because I would have liked more of her character. A lot of story left untold there. The two other women are straight.

What I didn’t like about the book was how slowly it started out. Unraveling three individuals’ stories took a minute to build momentum. But otherwise, a very enjoyable book, especially for fans of strong women in historical fiction. Although, I was given an e-arc through Netgalley and the publisher, I ended up buying the audiobook because I just knew a good narrator would fit the telling. Amy Melissa Bentley proved me right.

I eventually enjoyed this historical fiction, partially based on true events, after about half-way into the book. Up until then, the constant switching between the three timelines and three characters was confusing, but when they started to interact I can see why the author structured the novel this way. Still, it would have been easier on the reader if there were longer introductory chapters of each woman to establish her world and times.

That criticism aside, I loved the mystery, intrigue and action in the book, and became concerned with the fates of each woman, which along with several plot twists, made me reluctant to put the book down after the 75% point.

I learned so much about Depression-era Montana that was missing from American History class. The fact that there actually was a real boxcar library bringing books to the rural workers enhanced my enjoyment of the novel. I had never heard of the WPA "American Guide Series" of travel books and it was interesting to follow them on their travels throughout the state gathering personal stories of the people.

Even with the above reservations about the initial slowness of this read, I highly recommend "The Boxcar Librarian" to all lovers of American historical fiction. I will also be checking out some of the author's other books since I like her writing style.