The Library Thief is a Gothic mystery that looks at race, gender and self-discovery in Victorian England. The story is one of deceit and secrets with themes covered including: women’s rights, race, adultery and gender identity just to name a few. There is a lot going on here but sadly the title is somewhat misleading. However, if you are interested in stories of Victorian England that look beyond the rich, white and straight aristocracy then this could be the book for you.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kuchenga Shenjé and Hanover Square Press for this opportunity.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and at times, I couldn’t put it down. In The Library Thief, Florence was trying to find her way in the world after being kicked out by her father, and came to Rose Hall to try and make something of herself before moving on.

The characters were all different and held their secrets close to their hearts while finding who they could really trust. Lady Violet was a character that stood out to me. She was smarter than what she was given credit for and you could see her love for Lady Persephone from the beginning.
Florence and everything she endured showed her strength and how she only wanted what was best for everyone. I loved her relationship with Wesley/Annie and I would have loved to have learnt more about Baxter.

This was a wonderful and emotional story to read and Kuchenga Shenjé has a way with words and wasn’t afraid to write about topics most people wouldn’t touch.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 3!

It’s 1896 and Florence finds herself without a home, family or job. The daughter of a book binder, Florence seeks refuge at Rose Hall to help Lord Francis, a widow who is wanting to restore his prized collection of books. During her stay, she becomes committed to uncovering the truth behind the mysterious death of Lord Belfied’s wife but in her pursuit to seek answers and reveal deeply buried secrets, Florence finds herself in danger.

The premise of this book really captured my attention, however it unfortunately wasn’t executed as I had hoped. Described to be gothic, this mood didn’t quite resonate with me. Rather, it was more ominous and the constant foreshadowing that the main character was about to be subjected to a horrific act, left me feeling uneasy and took away from my enjoyment. While I appreciated how the author sought to address so many social issues, I do think it leaned into the ‘too much’ category. This took away from its overall execution, particularly the messaging that the author was trying to get across. With all of this said, I did find myself wanting to uncover the murder mystery and so that kept me turning the pages, albeit it was anticlimactic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this story interested me and I did enjoy the start of this book. The writing was great throughout, however I felt it was quite long. Certain parts seemed a tad unnecessary and I wish the author focused more on other sections of the book. I was interested in the main characters story and wanted more of the historical aspect. I actually would re-read this, now that I’ve had time to digest it, because reflecting on it at present, I still feel like it was an intriguing story that captured the imagination. I feel like the structure would have benefited from another edit. I will definitely read more from the author, as the concept was brilliant and I feel like there was an element of classic gothic, mystery-drama to this tale.

I so wanted to read this book as I love the cover and the title. Anything to do with books or libraries always catches my eye! So first I must say it is a rather long book/story and I think the number of pages could have been reduced and edited to make it a bit more enjoyable and easy to read. But having said that I did enjoy the story and the characters.

This is an historical debut by the author and is a great debut novel. I like the historical aspect, the gothic style mystery contained in the book and the setting of course. There are a lot of messages throughout the story which sometimes took over the premise of the book. A great book and an enjoyable read and with a bit of editing and some more experience I think this could be a wonderful book. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next for sure. 3 1/2 stars from me.
Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Florence arrives on the doorstop of Lord Belfield's home, claiming to have been sent by her father to perform duties as a bookbinder. Through persuasion Florence able to secure employment. As Florence begins the task of repairing the books, she discovers a mystery surrounding the death of Lord Belfield’s wife Persephone. A mystery that Florence is compelled to solve no matter the personal cost.

The main character is Florence, as she goes on her journey, we are allowed to see the influences good and bad that have shaped her past and influence her future. Florence soon realises as a woman she has limited autonomy, an insecure financial outlook and that having a mind of your own can be a dangerous thing. Florence is book-smart she is not very life-smart and some of the issues she comes across are completely new to her. As Florence is exposed more to the personal circumstances those around her face, she endeavours to be accepting and supportive. However, seeing this through Florence’s view tends to lessen the impact that they themselves feel in being ostracised. Being limited to experiencing every situation through Florence’s point of view meant a reliance on her empathy and comprehension of the situation. For me, there was just a tad too much character introspection that just slowed the story, as Florence tried to resolve her internal conflicts.

The supporting characters are well drawn on the page, are vibrant and all have secrets. Each of them assists or hinders Florence and invariably become a prime suspect in who murdered Persephone. The relationship between Florence and Lord Belfield is dynamic and complex, as you are never sure just where it will go. Wesley is the much-needed confidante, who is forced to hide their true self. The women who come into Florence’s world, all have their own motives, hopes and dreams.

At the beginning you feel that this is going to be a gothic mystery and there are shades of Rebecca, Jane Eyre, Fingersmith. About the halfway mark, the story takes a slightly different direction and there is a sprinkling of the Dictionary of Lost Words with women’s rights at the time explored.

Shenje has a clear sense of narrative direction and weaves into the story messaging around race, sexuality, identity, violence, social structures, misogyny, and power imbalance. This is not lectured at you but deftly highlighted in the story through the characters and their actions.

It is a strong debut, giving voice to characters normally silenced in history and providing a much needed feeling of hope at the end.

I really enjoyed the premise of "The Library Thief." It kind of read like a diary - a stream of thoughts and observations from the protagonist, Florence. At times this format was endearing and I loved Florence's curiosity. It also made for many humorous moments between some of the other (very well-written and fleshed-out) characters. However, it also caused the story to drag.

I think this book is a decent historical fiction, and it's a particularly important story because it explores the largely ignored history of Black people in Edwardian England. There was also a lot of wonderful character growth and self discovery. However, "The Library Thief" would have been ten times stronger - at least as a gothic historical fiction (as it's being marketed) - if it was written from a third person limited perspective. Everything would have felt more ominous and eerie and, well, gothic.