FICTION

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library

by Sue Halpern
Harper Perennial. Feb. 2018. 384p. ISBN 9780062678966. pap. $15.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062678973. F
COPY ISBN
Back when Andrew Carnegie was building public libraries in every city across America, the town of Riverton, NH, had its own mogul, whose name was Robers, which morphed into "Robbers" through probably equal parts humor and resentment. The town barely hangs on, but the library is now its best-maintained building. Halpern (Dog Walks into a Nursing Home) brings together three oddball characters in this setting and follows them through their encounters with multiple points of view. There is librarian Kit, fresh from therapy following marriage to a controlling monster, Solstice (Sunny), a teenager whose parents live off the grid and hide a secret past, and Rusty, a fugitive from Wall Street. When Sunny is assigned community service at the library after being arrested for shoplifting, she soon connects with Kit and Rusty.
VERDICT Fans of Felicity Hayes-McCoy's The Library at the Edge of the World will be taken with this beautifully written novel with appealing characters. Given that the author's plot line stretches typical library policy a bit, it's bound to stir some lively book-club discussions about public libraries and their operations.
Reviewed by Mary K. Bird-Guilliams, Chicago , Jan 01, 2018
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

FICTION

Heads Will Roll
by Winning, Josh
MEDIA

The Phoenix Bride
by Siegel, Natasha
FICTION

The Year of What If
by Patrick, Phaedra
MEDIA

Finding Sophie
by Mahmood, Imran
FICTION

Not in Love
by Hazelwood, Ali
FICTION

The Sky Was Ours
by Fassler, Joe
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?