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.

I like Brianna Labuskes; she’s a good writer and storyteller and I was a fan of her Gretchen White trilogy. While this one is very different than the Gretchen White crime thriller, I do enjoy a really good historical fiction, especially one inspired by true events, and one about a traveling library appeals to the book nerd in me.

The book summary is pretty vague and basically just introduces the three MC’s and the different storylines. What the book summary doesn’t mention is the intense war between the Copper Kings (mine owners) and their workers and the extent that the Copper Kings have gone through to maintain control and power in Montana. Frankly, it’s not all that different than what many powerful corporations today lord over their own vulnerable workforces in order to maintain control and power in their global playing field.

The story flips back and forth between Colette, Alice and Millie as well as three different time frames between 1914-1939. It isn’t until later in the first half that some of the women meet and start interacting with each other. Prior to that, it was just some background history on the women. Millie is an editor for the Federal Writers Project that was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Millie was sent to MT to escape getting fired for punching an arrogant, entitled and abusive senator’s son, who was raping one of Millie’s coworkers. Alice, who started the box library, is the privileged and sheltered daughter of a wealthy bootlegger, and Colette is the daughter of a miner/union organizer, who raised his daughter on the classics. None of this is a spoiler since it’s all revealed early in the story.

There is another storyline that wasn’t mentioned and it’s the one about a mission that Colette is one, that I will not reveal since it would be a spoiler. It’s this mission that led her to Missoula and Alice and her boxcar library project and it’s also why Millie suspects that Alice knows more than what she’s saying about what’s going on in Missoula and what happened to Colette more than 10yrs ago. It’s about at this point (50%) that I begin to suspect what happened to Colette. Wow, was I ever wrong! The second half is where the story finally picked up with the different storylines colliding in a torrent of scary and intense scenes for the women.

The character development of the MC’s was well done. The pacing for the first half of the story was really slow, but then again, that was all the background on the MC’s. The storylines were interesting too; I really liked them. The writing was well done, and something completely different than I have ever read from Labuskes. This was definitely a departure from her Gretchen White crime thriller trilogy. I like her even more and will definitely be checking out her other work. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #TheBoxcarLibrary

I’ve enjoyed this author’s previous work. Her historical fiction and mystery novels have been amazing. And I’m happy to say her upcoming title was just as great!
The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes was phenomenal. I really enjoyed this story. I love how the reader is able to really get to know the characters and be drawn into the story. The characters are likable, and their storylines evolve throughout the book.
Labuskes weaves a beautifully written story that will draw readers in and captivate the soul.

Thank you to William Morrow, NetGalley, and Brianna Labuskes for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review..

Three young women, who aren’t afraid to fight for their rights, give this historical fiction account of the depression times in Missoula to remember. Alice Monroe, fights for a boxcar to take books to the frontiersmen, hiring a miner’s daughter, Collette, as her librarian. Millie is headstrong and finds herself abolished to small town life in Missoula, where she wants to unravel a mystery as to where is Collette. No one is talking. This is such a fun book that will keep you excited to the end.

I never knew that this country had a boxcar library. I love learning about history and how women helped make this country a better place. I love the family relations and the friendship in this book. I do have to say the beginning was a little slow and it took me a little longer to read than I would have liked. Once the boxcar library started to become a real, I became more interested. I like how the three women came together. It made me cry and angry sometimes. I love the research that has been done. I have more thoughts in my review which is linked below.

I love historical fiction and stories about strong women, and this book beautifully blends a fascinating true story with powerful themes of resilience and unity.
Inspired by true events, it highlights the strength of women who faced the harsh realities of the West. It's a book that shows how books can bring people together and offer hope during tough times. A truly heartfelt and inspiring read.

Montana in the 1920s-30s was ruled by the copper kings. This is the story of three women during that time. Alice is a librarian whose father is the mayor. Collette's father was involved in the union movements in the mines. Millie worked for the Federal Writers Project to try to write a guide to Montana. Three different women whose lives will converge. Alice creates the boxcar library to bring books to the miners/loggers and their families. It is a train car that travels between the camps. The copper kings believe this is a bad idea. Knowledge is power.

This is wonderful historical fiction and should not be classified as LGBTQ. It is told from multiple points of view. You will hear from each woman. How there lives were controlled by men and how they strived for independence. It will hold your interest from beginning to end. History like we never learned in school. It is a story for everyone who loves books. I loved this book and would highly recommend reading it.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #BriannaLabuskes and #WilliamMorrow for a copy of this book.
#TheBoxcarLibrarian

This is a fictional history lovers dream. With three different POVs woven throughout the story, major time periods such as the end of WWI, Prohibition, the Depression, Dust Bowl, WWII and the New Deal are talked about. It has love, romance, mystery and books. What else could you need?! This story is very much a love letter to the state of Montana and Labuskes definitely did her research before writing this book. It took a while before I was able to understand how these three characters were related to the plot but once I understood that it became an easy read.
This is mainly about people who love books, people’s whose lives were changed by books and the power books can have on a society. If you enjoy Kristin Hannah and Kate Quinn you will love this

“America is nothing without its people-all of its people.”

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for the gifted eARC

My new fav from Brianna Labuskes, this historical fiction story follows three women whose lives intersect over the course of the 1920s and 30s in Montana. I really enjoy reading about periods and places in history that I know little about and this book was so well researched and the author did such a great job tying the threads together.

As a librarian, I especially loved learning about the boxcar libraries that served remote mining/logging communities and the brave women that travelled the rails to bring books to communities that wouldn't otherwise have access. There's also a great murder mystery element, some romance, revenge, betrayal and always at the core, strong women taking chances and fighting for good causes.

Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like The giver of stars by Jojo Moyes or The four winds by Kristin Hannah. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Alice is the sheltered daughter of the mayor of a mining town in Montana. She wants to bring books to the struggling families of the mineworkers and the mineworkers themselves. Alice convinces the owner of the town’s mining company to support the concept and fund a stipend for a librarian. Alice also brings in enough books to stock the library, and take the boxcar library on the road attached to the end of a train. Locals come at every stop to check out and return books, and the library conducts public readings on the nights they are in each town,

Millie is part of the Federal One Project, the Federal Writers project, which was tasked with giving writers (who were starving to death like a lot of other crafts) meaningful work that would bring the country. Mille is transferred to the department in Montana, after she interferes in some office harassment that is likely to get her fired. In Montana she comes across as mystery, as one of the office’s submissions has seemed to be sabotaged. Millie’s job is to figure out who did it and why, and to reproduce the missing work within a certain deadline or Millie and the whole office will be fired. There are definitely political overtones; the office produces travel guides that are more than just itineraries, but include all kinds of different races, men, women, children, as all are part of the story of America.

Colette Durand, is the daughter of a miner working for the Anaconda Copper mining company. Her father is a leader among the coal miner and a target for the company who controls every aspect of the miners lives. Well read, intelligent, and a great father, he teaches Collette through the stories he tells her many of which he knows by heart. A tragic event occurs that causes Colette to meet Alice; together they make the Boxcar library a reality.

These 3 women, Alice, Millie and Colette form the bones and flesh of the story, along with the men who shape, inspire and sometimes impede them.

There are many quotes from many books are scattered throughout the story including Shakespeare adding context, color and depth to the story. In fact, in some ways the story is told through the quotes themselves.

The Boxcar Librarian covers a time in our history that we too often forget, but is in some ways reminiscent of what’s going on today. A story of grit and determination, vision and persistence, The Boxcar Librarian is inspirational and shouldn’t be missed.

I had never heard of the Lumberman’s Library which the idea for the boxcar library was based upon.
Set against the backdrop of Montana in all of its glory but also its secrets: the mines, the unions, the crooked politicians, and the mining companies that literally owned the entire state.
It’s a slow build as Labuskes painstakingly connects the tendrils of the tale together.
The connecting theme is books and how they can inspire people, build bonds with people, and also be weaponized.
I was hopeful for one relationship for Alice but was disappointed in the man’s character and what he had done.
Slide open the door to this story and mine the word nuggets for yourself.