As I have been recovering from knee replacement surgery, I have found it absolutely essential to have books which are compelling to read. Because of the pain, the brain fog induced by medications and just the overall malaise you feel during the healing process,  I just don’t have the patience for long, langorous descriptions, or philosophical rifts of insight. Instead I crave a well crafted plot, interesting characters, and dialogue that is engaging. Luckily I found Halpern had written the perfect antidote for my recovery!

Sunny was caught trying to steal a dictionary at the bookstore in the mall. Not just a paperback, but the big hardback version! Sent to juvenile court, the judge ordered her to work for three months during the summer at the Riverton Public Library. For Sunny, whose parents have home schooled her while living off the gird, the chance to be in one place, surrounded by books seems like a unique opportunity. 

Kit, the head librarian of the library, is not quite sure what to do with Sunny, but luckily she is great with children and is soon put in charge of the children’s hour and reads and entertains the kids who come to the library every week. Kit, herself is a bit of an enigma. She moved to Riverton to start a new life and to try and forget the past. She protects herself by remaining aloof and disengaged, but somehow Sunny keeps trying to engage and Kit finds herself responding.

Rusty, a Wall Street high flyer, is trying to research his past. When the markets crashed so did his firm, his career and his life. All he has left is a small Riverton Bank book from his mother with a $5,000.00 deposit. After googling “Riverton Bank”, he decided that Riverton, New Hampshire was the place to start his research into his mother and the bank and soon becomes a regular at the public library. Gregarious and open hearted, he quickly becomes friends with Sunny and is intrigued by Kit’s aloofness.

Three people whose lives have not gone as expected. Three people unexpectedly thrown together and find that maybe they can find a way to pick up the pieces and create new lives together.

Halpern has created some interesting and fun characters. Sunny is a typical fifteen year old with all the wisdom and anxiety that age brings. Kit has suffered greatly and her inner monologues with her therapist are a wonderful device Halpern uses to tease out the trauma and hurt she has survived. Rusty is a middle aged man who has been given an opportunity to redefine his life, but is still trapped by conventional standards of success and happiness. As each of the characters struggle with their own lives, they find that they are being drawn together each offering each other what they need most in that moment.

This was a wonderful, engaging, uplifting book! I just love it when libraries and librarians are the heroes!

Brenda’s Rating:

**** (4 Out Of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Lauren, Marian, Sharon and Keith

Book Study Worthy? Yes

Read in ebook format.