The Library

by Bella Osborne

Cross-generational stories hold a certain appeal that is present in Bella Osborne’s The Library. Built around characters who probably would never have met but for a library, this novel involves the reader in their lives. Tom, a lonely young man whose mother died when he was eight, intervenes when a hoodlum snatches Maggie’s purse. Maggie, a widow, lives alone on a small farm and longs for human contact. Both have issues that have isolated them from others: Tom’s father is an alcoholic, and Maggie has lost her son and husband.

There are so many interesting themes and threads woven into the bare bones scenario I have described. As the book progresses you learn to love Maggie, an intelligent, spunky lady with surprising talents and Tom, the object of her generosity of spirit, money, and time. Tom is trying to find his way through adolescence and is dealing simultaneously with poverty, a neglectful and grieving father who is edging toward abuse, a bully, a crush on a girl in his class, and studying for exams that will place him in A levels, the key to going to college. In the midst of all this drama, Tom has to convince his father that his future does not lie in a dog food factory. He and Maggie also have to keep their local library from closing.

I recommend this book for the style of narration, the gradual way the author reveals the inner workings of the characters, and the way she creates empathy in the reader. The events in the plot are well-crafted and the ending is satisfactory without being saccharine.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Notes: 1. There are a few uses of inappropriate language in American English and a lot of mild expletives in British English. Interestingly, Tom does try to catch himself and avoid swearing when talking to Maggie.
2. Contains lots of Britishisms.

Publication: September 2, 2021—Aria

Memorable Lines:

She’d sought peace at the library, and it had given her exactly that along with multiple worlds to hide herself in. She could disappear into a book and be gone from the harsh reality of the real world for hours.

He was lost in the no man’s land between the child he was and the man he so longed to be.

Maybe nobody was who they seemed. Apart from the animals. Rusty was beautiful inside and out; she was caring and loyal. Colin was literally the devil in sheep’s clothing. But you knew where you were with animals—they weren’t suddenly going to surprise you and tip your world upside down. They didn’t pretend to be something they weren’t and because of that they didn’t let you down. Unlike people who did it all the time.

The Library - Bella Osbourne

This book was such a feel good cosy read, I am so annoyed it has taken me this long to get around to reading it! This is the first book I have read by Bella Osbourne and I have already had a sneak peak at her back catalogue to choose my next read. I adored Maggie and even more so Tom, I thought their friendship was lovely and found the book hard to put down. I personally love any book that is based around the daily life of the community library and this did not disappoint. Thank you so much NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the e-arc in return for my honest opinion, I can only apologise for the delay in my response

I started to read this and it didn't grab my attention within the first 50 pages. I stopped reading at that point. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

The Library by Bella Osborne

A mature story, in more ways than one., which tells a tale with something close to all authors and readers, the closure of a library. However, this is merely the glue with which this story is bound. This is the story of a lonely boy, Tom, growing up with a troubled single-parent, whose life changes when he becomes unlikely best friends with a lady pensioner, Maggie. Together, the two prove that age is no barrier to overcoming life's obstacles and I, for one, would love to see a continuation of their story.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the reading copy, sorry I'm late.

Ok, so I was not expecting to read the POVs (points of view) of a teenage boy and an elderly woman 72 years young. Instead, I thought this would be a love story and I was pleasantly surprised as I tend to enjoy such relationships that feel like grandma/grandson in a way.

The library is the link to bring those two together which makes it even more heartwarming a story. A library in a small town that needs some more loving and appreciation to be exact. Maggie and Tom have different reasons for seeking the comfort of the library walls and although they might seem an odd couple at first sight but they might be more alike than they think!

Bella Osborne certainly knows how to write characters! Tom acted like a teenager with all his feelings, growing up, dealing with the death of his mom (not a spoiler, we get to know that very early on) and Maggie is a kind-spirited woman with a secret that at times haunts her.

We follow their individual stories but also their journey from meeting up to.. (well you will have to read the book yourself to find out the rest).

Loved every second of it and enjoyed the farm bits and the way some sensitive topics were handled without taking away their severity.

Thank you to Netgalley and Aria & Aries for offering me an e-copy of this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Tom is sixteen and just lost his mom. His father has some drinking issues so he is feeling a bit lonely. Maggie is in her seventies also feeling a bit lonely only having her book club and library. A beautiful friendship blossoms between these two after Tom helps save Maggie from being robbed.

This book proves that sometimes the most unusual friendships can turn out to be the best friendships. I really enjoyed this lovely book.

Content just didn’t appeal to me in the way I thought it would, and I couldn’t commit as much time as I wanted to reading it

The Library by Bella Osborne was a bit of an unexpected treasure. As a lover of all things book related the title of course caught my attention and judging by the cover I expected an easy light read. Something light, fluffy and maybe a bit on the schmalz-y side. I couldn't have been more wrong. What I got was a a story about an unlikely, yet heartwarming friendship between a 16 year of boy and a 72 year old lady. What I also got was a book that didn't shy away from heavy subjects such as loss of a parent, grief, social isolation, alcoholism and loneliness and does so beautifully!

Bookworms,books, friendship and love seriously what’s not to love !




Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.

Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that's what she tells herself.

When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever.

Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it's not just about books – it's the heart of their community.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me access to this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

⚠️ TW/CW: Alcoholism, Addiction, Death of a Parent, Vomit, Animal Death, Bullying, Violence, Blood

Synopsis: Two different generations. Two unusual people. Thrown together to save their local library. Tom is a teenager who blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, he escapes to the library. Tom ends up with a bagful of romance novels and comes under the suspicion of Maggie. Maggie is a pensioner and has been happily alone for 10 years, at least that's what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue a friendship develops that could change her life. As Maggie helps Tom to stand up for himself, Tom helps Maggie realise the mistakes of her past don't have to define her future. They each set out to prove that the library isn't just about books – it's the heart of their community. Together they discover some things are worth fighting for.

Thoughts: This book was exactly what I needed! Possibly strange for a twenty something but I love a book with elderly characters and Maggie was just amazing. The relationship that developed between Tom and Maggie and honestly just ever character in this story just had me enthralled! Bella Osborne does a wonderful job of creating characters that you just feel so much for and right from the start I felt a connection with both Maggie and Tom. An unexpected friendship but a beautiful one. I loved the discussion that this story had about alcoholism as this isn’t something I’ve read about before but I felt like it was very realistic and well handled. Everything in this book just felt so real and I can’t wait to reread it at some point to tab all the best bits! This book had me laughing, crying and questioning my relationships too and honestly it’s made me want to make use of my library too! I’d 100% recommend this!

Recommend? ✅
Reread? ✅

I adored The Library! Both characters were perfection and I could not get enough of it. What a wonderful story.

EXCERPT: The post lady came in and handed over a pile of letters and something Christine had to sign for. Christine let out a gasp worthy of anyone winning a TV prize jackpot but her face told a different story. Maggie went to see what had caused it but Betty was quicker off the mark.

'Something wrong?' asked Betty, her face laden with glee.

'They're closing us down,' said Christine, followed by a dramatic sob as she clutched the podium for support.

Betty was quick with the tissues, which gave Maggie a chance to swivel around the offending letter and have a quick read for herself. She wasn't surprised to see that Christine had made a mansion out of a Lego brick. 'It's inviting you to a meeting about the future of the library, Christine.' It wasn't exactly an eviction notice. Maggie had seen plenty of those in her time.

Christine looked affronted. 'That's what it means.' She stabbed the letter with a neat fingernail. 'It came by recorded delivery. They call you to a meeting and that's when they tell you they're closing you down. . .'

ABOUT 'THE LIBRARY': Two different generations. Two unusual people. Thrown together to save their local library.
Tom is a teenager and blends into the background of life. After a row with his dad, and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library. Tom unwittingly ends up with a bagful of romance novels and comes under the suspicion of Maggie.

Maggie is a pensioner and has been happily alone for ten years, at least that's what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue a friendship develops that could change her life. As Maggie helps Tom to stand up for himself, Tom helps Maggie realise the mistakes of her past don't have to define her future.

They each set out to prove that the library isn't just about books – it's the heart of their community.

Together they discover some things are worth fighting for.

MY THOUGHTS: I needed this! If you want a book that is going to make you smile and your heart swell, this is it!

The characters are realistic, relatable and mostly lovely, except Kemp who is an out and out bully. Thomas Harris, just like the author, is seriously lacking in self-esteem, and feels like he is invisible - 'Not actually invisible – that would make me interesting and I’m not. I’m the person others find easy to forget. The one who is lost in the crowd.' - except to Kemp, who always manages to see him and make his life even more miserable than it already is.

Maggie is in her 70s, and lives alone on a smallholding with just her animals for company. The highlight of her life is the weekly book club at the library. She is an extraordinary character with hidden depths and a tragic secret.

Maggie and Tom meet at the library after Tom's dad smashes his x-box which seems like a tragedy at the time but which is probably the best thing that ever happened to him, because he starts reading again, something he hasn't done since his mum died.

A friendship that will change both their lives begins when Tom comes to Maggie's aid when she is getting mugged.

The Library isn't so much about the efforts to save the local library as a touching story of an unlikely friendship. It's a heartwarming and uplifting read that left me with a smile on my face and needing to read more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheLibrary #NetGalley

I: @bellaosborneauthor @avonbooksuk

T: @osborne_bella @AvonBooksUK @aria_fiction

#comingofage #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #sliceoflife #smalltownfiction

THE AUTHOR: Bella's stories are about friendship, love and coping with what life throws at you. She likes to find the humor in the darker moments of life and weaves these into her stories. Bella believes that writing your own story really is the best fun ever, closely followed by talking, eating chocolate, drinking fizz, and planning holidays. She lives in the Midlands, UK with her lovely husband and wonderful daughter, who thankfully, both accept her as she is (with mad morning hair and a penchant for skipping). (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria & Aries via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Library by Bella Osborne for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

This book was phenomenal. It’s probably one of my all time favourite reads. I loved how the two MC’s bridged different generations to come together to save their library. 100% I balled my eyes out. I cried so much. It’s such an incredibly moving story that you can’t help but fall in love with. Amazing.

“Every book is a key that unlocks another world, leads us down the path of a different life and offers the chance to explore an unexpected adventure. Every one is a gift of either knowledge, entertainment or pure escapism and goodness knows we all need that from time to time.”

Tom and Maggie are as different as they can be on the outside, but what eventually bonds them is a combination of books, a common goal, and the human longing to be known and needed. Alone with his alcoholic father, sixteen year old Tom is at a crossroads and must figure out his future. Meanwhile, Maggie is a seventy two year old pensioner alone on her farm and desperate for human connection. Enter in the library. Full of heart and rife with emotion, this story pulled me in, broke me a little, and then put the pieces back together with loving care. If you love books about libraries, underdogs, and themes of forgiveness and restoration, this one is for you!

Contemporary Fiction

A new favorite! Incredible!

Tom is having a tough time at home. His mother died when he was young and his father has been having a hard time with alcohol. As a way to escape, he ventures into the local library and starts reading romances as a way to be close to his mother.

Maggie is older and goes to the library on Saturdays for book club as a way to fill her time. Her husband passed away and other than caring for some animals on her farm she doesn't have much to do or much interaction with anyone.

Tom and Maggie are thrown together several times and slowly develop a friendship. Tom ends up helping out at Maggie's farm and Maggie helps him navigate the situation with his father. They also come together to save the library from being shut down.

The relationship between Tom and Maggie is magical! The way they come together and help each other is so sweet. Is the book a little idealistic - sure, but who doesn't want to hope for better things.

Loved this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this novel.

Libraries and animals
Maggie and Tom, both lonely and unusual people, meet at Library or rather outside in an alley. Sounds promising and romantic, no Tom is 16 years old and Maggie is 72, but they form a friendship which transcends time.
What a delightful story this is, easy reading and involving, I cried at the end.
Tom lives with his distant Father having lost his Mum at the age of eight, they try to make the best of the situation, but both harbor anger and resentment. Through a chance meeting with Maggie, Tom learns to appreciate books and the role that the local Library plays in the community. With threats of closure the Librarian seeks help, Tom, Maggie and Farrah come to the rescue. Meanwhile Tom stays at Maggie's farm, gets to know home comforts, responsibility for animals and unconditional love and help.
Maggie is keeping a secret which is revealed to Tom who react with anger, hurt and disbelief, he comes to realise that no onw is perfect.
An insight into the difficult life of a sixteen year old and an independent woman

The fabulous cover sets the scene for what is going to be found inside the book. Great story of people from different generations out to save their library from closure in just a few weeks. Osborne has sympathetically created a somewhat magical relationship between Maggie and Tom and ended up with particularly enjoyable good feel-good story. Beautifully written, sensitively handled, a story for all generations.

Ist there a genre like cozy family drama? Imho that's a description this book would fit into. There's Tom, a self-conscious teenager who prefers to go through life unnoticed. After his mother died, his father got in the habit of drinking and there's not much left of the happy family they used to be. Then meet Maggie: a sturdy old widow who lives on a farm, does yoga and martial arts and seems unafraid of anything. When by coincidence Tom and Maggie meet at the library, an unusual friendship starts to blossom, and soon Maggie takes Tom under her wing. Tom starts opening up and becoming the boy he could have been all along. When the local library is threatened by closure, Tom and Maggie start a campaign to save one of their favorite places.
While there were a lot of dramatic issues touched in this story, it never lost its cozy charm which made it a comfortable, at times even funny book to read. While some coincidences felt overly convenient, the plot developed easily and the characters appeared well-drawn, though I got the impression that Tom sometimes behaved much too grown-up for the teenager he still was. Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this book which revealed itself to be much more substantial than I first expected.