Widowed and left to take care of her young daughter Olivia on her own, Emma struggles to find work. Eventually, she finds a job at a library. But the onset of war makes being a single parent even more difficult. Olivia is eventually sent to the country, but fearing she’s losing her daughter to another woman’s affections, Emma sends for her, feeling London must be safe enough from the battlefield. 

 

At the library, Emma discusses books with the patrons and coworkers as well as trying to solve the mystery of missing and misplaced books. Though she forges friendships and support systems, working in the library reminds her of harsh memories. 

 

I was far more interested in the Emma and Olivia storyline, but the library added a nice backdrop to the story. I loved the emphasis on the mother/daughter relationship and could find myself relating to Olivia’s situation in a lot of ways. This is the second book by Madeline Martin I’ve read this year and I’m really enjoying her writing.