Ponder: The Littlest Library

The Littlest Library ©2021 by Poppy Alexander (aka Sarah Waights) is a sappy story set in the English countryside about an unemployed librarian, Jess, orphaned as a young child, and raised by her grandmother who recently died.  The initial concept that drew me to the book is the repurposing of a classic red telephone booth for a local neighborhood lending library, populated by Jess's books inherited from her grandmother. The recurring theme is Jess's fear of happiness because she believes joy will be inevitably snatched away and she will be left miserable. I gave this sad little book two stars.

For those who enjoy a lot of description in their books and very little action, this novel will appeal. The characters in the quaint village are reasonable entertaining but the story is extremely predictable and slow moving. Jess purchases a picturesque, but run down, cottage. Long passages detail her scrubbing and painting and gardening efforts to spruce up the place and make it homey. There was a hint of a thwarted romance to keep the narrative alive but barely. At least I did learn some British vocabulary. 

★★☆☆☆ Ok, not great; some redeeming features; I finished it