Monday, July 18, 2022

Review - - The Littlest Library

The Littlest Library
by Poppy Alexander
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: July 19, 2022
Reviewed by PJ



A little red telephone box full of stories, a chance to change her life...

Jess Metcalf is perfectly content with her quiet, predictable life. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, Jess’ life is turned upside down.

Determined to pick up the pieces, Jess decides it’s time for a new beginning. Unable to part with her grandmother’s cherished books, she packs them all up and moves to a tiny cottage in the English countryside. To her surprise, Jess discovers that she’s now the owner of an old red phone box that was left on the property. Missing her job at the local library, Jess decides to give back to her new community—using her grandmother’s collection to turn the ordinary phone box into the littlest library in England.

It’s not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their literary magic—bringing the villagers together... and managing to draw Jess’ grumpy but handsome neighbor out of his shell.

Maybe it’s finally time for Jess to follow her heart, let go of her old life, and make the village her home? But will she be able to take the leap? 


PJ's Thoughts:


The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander is a delight. It made me want to journey to a small English village, fill an empty phone box with treasured books, sip gin and tonics with locals, and fall for the hunky, grumpy guy next door. That's not asking too much, is it? ;-) 


This was my first book by Poppy Alexander. It won't be my last. Her scenic descriptions transported me to the rural village of Middlemass. Even though I've never visited England I could easily visualize the area in my mind's eye, from the twisty roads, to the bustling seashore, to the meadows of wildflowers, and more. The depictions of her characters were just as vivid. These were people who were interesting, people I wanted to get to know. Well, maybe not all of them but in this case a few rotten apples did not spoil the whole bunch. 


This is Jess's story and I was with her the whole way. She's such an empathetic character. My heart ached for the hand life had dealt her but, oh, how I loved her kind and genuine heart. It was so rewarding to watch her evolve, to see the positive impact her actions had on the villagers, and, finally, share in the happiness and satisfaction she found herself. She's one of those characters you can't help but root for. Like Jess, I had a close, loving relationship with my late grandmother so it was especially poignant to read all the ways in which her grandmother continued to have a positive impact on Jess, and through her grandmother's beloved books, on others within the Middlemass community.


If you're looking for a feel-good story this summer, with quirky characters, heart-tugging emotion, humor, and hope, all set in the lovely British countryside, give this one a try. 



8 comments:

  1. Sounds perfect, PJ. I would love to escape to a rural English village replete with quirky characters and a good love story.

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  2. Thanks for the terrific review. This sounds like a charming story. I think the idea of creating a library from a phone booth is absolutely brilliant. Another new to me author. Thanks again.

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  3. This sounds like my kind of book. I love small town settings and the phone booth is such a great idea. I'll be adding this to my TBR. Great review.

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  4. Sounds really good! Thanks for the review!

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  5. Thank you so much for the review and recommendation. It does sound delightful and just what I will need while recovering from surgery. I, too, was lucky to have close relationships with my grandmothers and although we didn't share a love of books I developed a love of sewing from one and a love of gardening and canning from the other. We all need a feel good book every so often and this one sounds like it will fill the bill very nicely.

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