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.

Based on a true story of a boxcar that was transformed into a library to take books to the residents of Montana’s mining towns during the depression. Told in three voices – Colette, raised in a mining town by her miner father who loved Shakespeare; Alice, overly protected daughter of a rancher; and Millie who was sent there by the WPA to work on the Montana State Guide. Amidst this is the story of the unions trying to get better wages and more safety and the Copper Kings who own the mines and will protect their profits at all costs. Like “The Giver of Stars” a fascinating read about the importance of books to those who don’t have access and the strong women who made it so.

The women of The Boxcar Librarian are fascinating characters, and their stories had me hooked.

Set in the 1920s-1930s, the intertwining stories of three women trying to find their path in Montana were woven beautifully. There is danger, backstabbing, and determination to see their goals through, all set during an interesting part of our country's history.

The boxcar library is the main setting for part of our story, as a young wealthy woman sets out to share her love of books with mining communities along the railroad tracks. The importance and love of books and reading is felt throughout the story, which rolls along at a slow but steady pace.

I enjoyed the way a mystery was cleverly written among the three timelines, and thought the author did a fantastic job combining the mystery with historical fiction!

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Boxcar Librarian pulled me right in and wouldn't turn me loose. The characters of Millie Lang, Alice Monroe, and Colette Durand were well-drawn, and they all made me care about their well-being.

While the mystery was a good one that kept me guessing, I think the setting had the strongest grip on me. The Depression-Era time period was fascinating. I loved learning about the Boxcar Library (based on Montana's Lumberman's Library-- don't miss the author's note at the end), Montana's mining history, and the Federal Writers' Project. I have a reprint of the Arizona edition of the American Guide Series, and this book made me take it off the shelf to reread sections.

Strong setting, story, and characters. I definitely recommend The Boxcar Librarian.

Thanks to WIlliam Morrow for an advanced copy of The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes.

I really wanted to like this book -- historical fiction based on the Missoula Boxcar Library mixed with the 1930s WPA American Guide Series but there was just too much going on in this book.

The 3 separate storylines and different timelines made this very confusing from the start and while you knew they'd eventually connect, it took too long to in my opinion. Also, this had a very slow start and I was bored through most of the book,

I did like the author's note at the end, but I felt like this book was trying to be too many things at once.

I may say this is a 3.5 rounded up to 4, but that's still up for debate with me. It feels too low, but also a 4 feels maybe too high? I'll have to think about it some more.

Now, I did enjoy this book. I did get a little confused at first with the different timelines, mostly between two of the characters, because I hadn't paid enough attention to the years at the beginning of the chapters. The biggest thing I could complain about is that it just felt so long. However, I was sick for the majority of my time reading this, so it possibly could have affected that, but it just took me awhile to get into it. I did like the second half better. Some of the pacing just felt a bit off.

There was an identity reveal to the readers that I feel didn't get the attention it deserved and I didn't really like that. I was hoping for more from it. I did also predict the "twist" but I'm fine with that because I like the direction it went.

DNF at 10%. After a few chapters going back and forth between time periods, I could already feel myself losing interest. I skipped ahead and all three STILL weren’t in the same time period. Going to skip on this one, as it’s too slow for me,

This took me a minute to get into-- the different perspectives being in different decades threw me and took me a minute to place them -- but I loved it by the end.
*
This is mostly about books, people who love them, people's whose lives are changed by them, and the power books can have. But there's also a mystery, several in fact! In the 1930s, Millie is sent to Montana to figure out who sabotaged the state's entry for the American Guide series. In the 1910s and beyond, Colette is trying to figure out who was responsible for a horrific crime. These stories intersect, along with Alice who ends up being the glue to bring the characters and storylines together.
*
This was on the longer side, but was such a pleasure to read. I loved the characters and really enjoyed how the story came together. And the ending was just perfect. Definitely recommend!

I really, really liked this one. It did take me a bit to get into it and understand the alternating timelines but once I settled in, I enjoyed it. I find historical fiction to be a 50/50 for me, but this one hit the right notes.

I have family that lives in this area so that definitely added to the appeal, if you know the area you can visualize the story and that added to the richness of the words. I also appreciated the author for highlighting this part of history and also wrapping up the ending the way she did.

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

The Boxcar Librarian is a fascinating dive into a little-known piece of history, blending mystery, adventure, and the transformative power of books. With three different timelines and POVs—Millie in 1936, Alice in 1924, and Colette in 1914—it takes a bit to settle into the rhythm of the story, but once you do, it’s an immersive ride through Depression-era Montana.

The premise is fantastic—librarians delivering books to isolated mining towns via a converted boxcar? Sign me up! The historical research is spot-on, and Labuskes does a great job bringing this time period to life. The themes of literacy, labor rights, and resilience really shine through, and I loved the emphasis on how books can connect and uplift people.

That said, the multiple timelines and perspectives made the beginning a little slow and occasionally confusing. Some transitions between the characters weren’t as smooth as I’d have liked, but once their stories started to weave together, it all clicked into place. If you enjoy layered historical fiction with a dash of mystery and a strong female-driven narrative, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Bonus points for making me want to go on a deep dive into the real-life Boxcar Library!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.