Ms. Quinn has written some superb historical fiction (The Alice Network, The Rose Code). And now for something entirely different: she offers a foray into magic realism. The heroine Alix is a misfit product of parental abandonment and the foster-care system. She takes refuge in a reading room at the Boston Public Library, and accidentally gains entry to the magical Astral Library which permits access to book lovers in need. Patrons in the Astral Library can enter and live inside books; imagine living in Jane Austen’s world in Pride and Prejudice, or in The Great Gatsby! Importantly, this book is a love letter to literature and libraries, with some exquisite book trivia. But there is peril and danger in the form of attacks on the library, requiring original defences. Simply put, this is a great read!
The Astral Library – Kate Quinn
