Book Review: Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I loved Kirsten Miller’s The Change and was eager to read her latest offering. Well-crafted, satirical and humorous (with several laugh-out-loud moments), but also hard-hitting, Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller is an engaging read.

“Gather as much knowledge as you can, because information is power. And choosing how to use it is freedom. The more you know, the freer you will be.”

Set in the small town of Troy, Georgia, the novel revolves around tensions that arise from one of the townspeople’s missions to ban books that are deemed inappropriate – a mission she has successfully executed resulting in the removal of said books from the public library. Lula Dean also sets up her own lending library with hopes of circulating what she considers acceptable books among the townspeople. Beverly Underwood, also a lifelong resident of Troy and on the school board, vehemently opposes Lula’s actions. Beverly’s daughter Lindsay takes matters into her own hands and unbeknownst to her mother, replaces the books in Lula’s library with those which have been banned. To avoid detection, she places the banned books inside the dust jackets of acceptable literature. As the narrative progresses, we see how these books impact the lives of the townspeople and the dynamic between Beverly and Lula, both of whom are running for mayor.

“When you have everything, the only luxury left is taking things away from others.”

The novel features a large cast of characters, multiple perspectives and several sub-plots seamlessly woven into the primary narrative. The pacing is consistent and the story flows well. At no point did I lose interest or feel that there was too much going on. I loved how the author emphasizes the transformative power of books and how important it is for people to have the freedom to choose what to read and/or what they want their children to read. I loved that the author incorporates certain books (a few of which are banned in some parts of the US) into the plotlines and shows how those books not only inspire individuals to effect change in their own lives but also enable them to gain perspective and expose those spreading hate in the community.

“I think you’re scared that your children are going to open a book and discover the truth. They’ll realize that the Holocaust happened and that slavery was worse than they ever imagined. They’ll find out that both men and women like sex and that gay and trans folks are just regular people. These seem to be the things that you’re trying to hide from them. Why is that?”

There is a lot to like about this novel. The author injects a healthy dose of humor into the narrative, rendering it an entertaining read while also conveying a strong message. The author tackles several heavy themes and social issues such as censorship and book banning, homophobia, bigotry and racism, antisemitism, sexual abuse, racially motivated violence, misogyny and much more. All the characters are well thought out - even the unlikable ones. Beverly is an admirable character and I appreciated her efforts to do the right thing in the face of much adversity. I adored Wilma and I wish we had more scenes with her. I liked how the author depicts the impact of ideological differences and conflicting views on critical issues on the dynamics within a small town. I particularly liked how the author has portrayed the younger crowd and their efforts (a tad misguided at times, but with best intentions) to bring about change in their community.

I did feel, however, that a few aspects of the novel could have been explored further, but with so many characters and subplots, this is to be expected. I also believe that some might not be entirely comfortable with certain content and the tone of the narrative. The ending is a tad too neatly tied up, but I’m glad that the author ends the novel on a positive note.

Thoroughly enjoyable yet timely and relevant, this is a book that I would not hesitate to recommend.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Do read the Author’s Note where she talks about the themes addressed in this novel and much more.

Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.