Review of The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy


Hello Readers,

I must admit to you that I only wanted to read this book because I loved the title and cover. I had no idea what it was about but I knew I wanted to read it. I was so pleasantly surprised to find an endearing story of friendship, family, and a journey of self-discovery. This book was originally published in the UK and has recently been published in America and I am so happy to welcome this book, and crossing my fingers that someday the whole series, to the states. 

Hanna Casey is the main character and she does not come off as the loveable librarian you are normally accustomed to in books. She is a rule follower and very set in her ways of how things should be done. She is working at the library because it was the only job she could get after she discovered her husband with another woman and fled London. She is living at home with her mother, still, and life feels stilted and ordinary. Now that she is in a phase of life where her daughter has her own life Hanna decides its time to take possession of her personal life and move out of her mother's house and find a home that is right for her. She has long been in possession of a disaster of a cottage left to her by her Great Aunt and Hanna is determined to make this wreck her future home. As she begins her journey to restore her cottage a potential closure of the library might make her dreams of a beautiful home of her own impossible. The journey Hanna goes on and the adorable characters she meets makes this book worth reading.

A bit of a spoiler warning but something I really wanted to commend the author on how she handled the topic of miscarriage. Hanna suffers a miscarriage shortly after her marriage to her husband Malcolm. At first, I was really nervous about how the author would handle a very sensitive subject. The author wrote about Hanna's feelings and how she handled her miscarriage with such care and delicacy. I don't think people talk very much about miscarriage and it almost feels like a subject you shouldn't talk about.  I was very impressed with how Hayes-McCoy handled this topic with such care and sensitivity.  

Also, my new dream job is to operate a mobile library van and travel the outskirts of Ireland delivering books to senior citizens. Not sure how I will accomplish this goal, but it definitely seems appropriate to add it to my bucket list. I remember as a little kid visiting the bookmobile that would come into our small town. I looked forward to its visit every time. The van hummed with people chatting and grabbing books. I loved stepping up those big steps and being surrounded by the books and stories. Very happy memories of visiting the bookmobile kept coming to my mind as I read about Hanna delivering her books to people who Loved to read.

This book is filled with absolutely endearing characters and I look forward to reading more in the series. I might just try to hunt down some of the UK editions so I can keep up with the people of Lissbeg. 

I would recommend this book for readers who enjoyed The bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan. 

Overall Rating - 3/5 stars

Thank you to Harper Perennial for generously supplying me with a review copy of The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


  • Series: Finfarran Peninsula (Book 1)
  • Release Date: November 14, 2017
  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Perennial 
  • ISBN-10: 0062663720

Happy Reading,
Rachael

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