The women of The Boxcar Librarian are fascinating characters, and their stories had me hooked.

Set in the 1920s-1930s, the intertwining stories of three women trying to find their path in Montana were woven beautifully. There is danger, backstabbing, and determination to see their goals through, all set during an interesting part of our country's history.

The boxcar library is the main setting for part of our story, as a young wealthy woman sets out to share her love of books with mining communities along the railroad tracks. The importance and love of books and reading is felt throughout the story, which rolls along at a slow but steady pace.

I enjoyed the way a mystery was cleverly written among the three timelines, and thought the author did a fantastic job combining the mystery with historical fiction!

Thank you to William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Boxcar Librarian pulled me right in and wouldn't turn me loose. The characters of Millie Lang, Alice Monroe, and Colette Durand were well-drawn, and they all made me care about their well-being.

While the mystery was a good one that kept me guessing, I think the setting had the strongest grip on me. The Depression-Era time period was fascinating. I loved learning about the Boxcar Library (based on Montana's Lumberman's Library-- don't miss the author's note at the end), Montana's mining history, and the Federal Writers' Project. I have a reprint of the Arizona edition of the American Guide Series, and this book made me take it off the shelf to reread sections.

Strong setting, story, and characters. I definitely recommend The Boxcar Librarian.

Thanks to WIlliam Morrow for an advanced copy of The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes.

I really wanted to like this book -- historical fiction based on the Missoula Boxcar Library mixed with the 1930s WPA American Guide Series but there was just too much going on in this book.

The 3 separate storylines and different timelines made this very confusing from the start and while you knew they'd eventually connect, it took too long to in my opinion. Also, this had a very slow start and I was bored through most of the book,

I did like the author's note at the end, but I felt like this book was trying to be too many things at once.

I may say this is a 3.5 rounded up to 4, but that's still up for debate with me. It feels too low, but also a 4 feels maybe too high? I'll have to think about it some more.

Now, I did enjoy this book. I did get a little confused at first with the different timelines, mostly between two of the characters, because I hadn't paid enough attention to the years at the beginning of the chapters. The biggest thing I could complain about is that it just felt so long. However, I was sick for the majority of my time reading this, so it possibly could have affected that, but it just took me awhile to get into it. I did like the second half better. Some of the pacing just felt a bit off.

There was an identity reveal to the readers that I feel didn't get the attention it deserved and I didn't really like that. I was hoping for more from it. I did also predict the "twist" but I'm fine with that because I like the direction it went.

DNF at 10%. After a few chapters going back and forth between time periods, I could already feel myself losing interest. I skipped ahead and all three STILL weren’t in the same time period. Going to skip on this one, as it’s too slow for me,

This took me a minute to get into-- the different perspectives being in different decades threw me and took me a minute to place them -- but I loved it by the end.
*
This is mostly about books, people who love them, people's whose lives are changed by them, and the power books can have. But there's also a mystery, several in fact! In the 1930s, Millie is sent to Montana to figure out who sabotaged the state's entry for the American Guide series. In the 1910s and beyond, Colette is trying to figure out who was responsible for a horrific crime. These stories intersect, along with Alice who ends up being the glue to bring the characters and storylines together.
*
This was on the longer side, but was such a pleasure to read. I loved the characters and really enjoyed how the story came together. And the ending was just perfect. Definitely recommend!

I really, really liked this one. It did take me a bit to get into it and understand the alternating timelines but once I settled in, I enjoyed it. I find historical fiction to be a 50/50 for me, but this one hit the right notes.

I have family that lives in this area so that definitely added to the appeal, if you know the area you can visualize the story and that added to the richness of the words. I also appreciated the author for highlighting this part of history and also wrapping up the ending the way she did.

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

The Boxcar Librarian is a fascinating dive into a little-known piece of history, blending mystery, adventure, and the transformative power of books. With three different timelines and POVs—Millie in 1936, Alice in 1924, and Colette in 1914—it takes a bit to settle into the rhythm of the story, but once you do, it’s an immersive ride through Depression-era Montana.

The premise is fantastic—librarians delivering books to isolated mining towns via a converted boxcar? Sign me up! The historical research is spot-on, and Labuskes does a great job bringing this time period to life. The themes of literacy, labor rights, and resilience really shine through, and I loved the emphasis on how books can connect and uplift people.

That said, the multiple timelines and perspectives made the beginning a little slow and occasionally confusing. Some transitions between the characters weren’t as smooth as I’d have liked, but once their stories started to weave together, it all clicked into place. If you enjoy layered historical fiction with a dash of mystery and a strong female-driven narrative, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Bonus points for making me want to go on a deep dive into the real-life Boxcar Library!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I wish I could share all of my highlights from this book at once. My favorite thing was the way the author highlighted how helpful books can be for people & what they can open our eyes to. That theme & the fact that it was set in Montana were my favorite parts of the book.

That being said, this book has a lot of plot points going on at the same time. It is done well, but can be a little bit confusing to keep the timelines straight.

There were some twists and turns I couldn’t fully predict & I do appreciate that. While I understand why the author made those choices, I did hate some of them.

My last note was that the romance that was the main focus of this book was a victim of the miscommunication trope in my eyes & that is my least favorite one.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Three timelines ranging from 1914 - 1939 with three POV’s creates a challenging start to Brianna Labuskes new novel, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN.

Montana is the primary setting for this story about mobile libraries. Three different women are involved with the operations of a new library built into a library car that services lumber camps and the tiny towns that line the tracks along the way. These women are bibliophiles through and through, sharing many insights about books that are now considered classics. I thoroughly enjoyed the tidbits of information and added a few books to my TBR because of them. For those readers who are fans of “The Bard”, you will be especially enamored. Labuskes is deft with descriptive prose. I spent many hours feeling extra chilly while reading about the winter months in Montana - bbbrrrr!

As stated in the beginning, it took a long time, more than 50 pages, before the multiple storylines began to settle into a comfortable reading experience. Part of the problem is not enough time to get to know three strong, female characters. The other issue is close timelines. Even tho’ each chapter is unique to a voice and a timeline and clearly marked, I found them hard to follow until the 50% mark or a bit later. The chapters were too short and more character development was needed sooner. Elongating the chapters would have permitted the author to give readers deeper insights to backstories that would have helped me understand some of the motivations of the characters. We did get the info needed but it was scattered in a few, high intensity scenes near the end. Rather than feeling like “ah ha”, it was “dang, I wish I knew that 200 pages ago!”

For those who love books, adventure, mystery and light thriller reads, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN will be a good read. Labuskes did an excellent job with research and bringing attention to an event in our history that isn’t well known or documented. This time period is full of huge historical events: the end of WWI, Prohibition, The Depression, Dust Bowl, WWII, racial tensions w/blacks & indigenous, women’s rights, The New Deal and more. It was eye opening to see how little this area of the county was impacted by these events Taking books and other reading materials to these families was a life changing gift for many.

3.5 stars rounded up for bringing an important story about real historical events to contemporary readers📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks.

I absolutely loved The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes.This book introduces three strong female characters and jumps between their stories over the years.

We have Millie Lang an editor for a depression era work program. She is sent to Montana to investigate missing paperwork and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Then Alice Monroe, a sheltered rich girl with a generous spirit and a strong will, who wants to help the miners in the area by giving them the gift of books by creating a boxcar library. Last but not least Colette Durand, the daughter of a union leader miner, who loves her father and reading.

This book expertly weaved together these stories. Every different point of view felt distinct and clear. When plot lines connected over different chapters and years it was seamless. It was like a reading a connect the dots. I couldn’t wait to see what the next connection would be so I could get a even fuller sense of the story.

This book had mystery, romance, revenge, and multiple surprises. I even cried a little at the end. Also, I really want to visit Montana now.

If you enjoy well written, compelling stories, with strong characters you will not be disappointed with this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Williams Morrow, and Brianna Labuskes for the ARC.

This book included so many mentions of the power of books - education and escape were primary things and there are so many highlight worthy lines in this book. I loved the three points of view - Millie in post depression WPA work, Alice founding the boxcar library and Colette being a miner's daughter. There was so much going on for each of the women and a lot of mystery to unravel while enjoying an ode to the love of books. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Three women's stories start in three different decades and merge eventually in a super satisfying piece of historical fiction about strong women who make their way in Montana. in 1914, Collette is part rough and tumble, part self-educated and pro-union. Her father, who is raising Collette is a miner, self educated and a strong union man. Their home is filled with books and his brain is filled with whole plays of Shakespeare and the many authors he loves and shares with Collette. Being a union man is highly risky in a company town owned by "The Company." The Anaconda Mining Company keeps its workers under its thumb, along with various politicians. When tragedy befalls Colette, she takes off on her own and we follow her story through the book, thereafter.

The novel alternates among the stories, but generally in a linear way, so while you are jumping decades and finding out things about each of them in the various decades, the chapters devoted to Collette, Alice and Millie follow a continuous time line. In 1924, Mayor Monroe of Missoula Montana is heavily invested in the Company and involved in various bootlegging and other questionable enterprises, but Alice is only dimly aware/suspicious of his doings. Alice is his daughter, a young woman who is a local librarian. With the help of her childhood friend Mac, now employed by her father to carry out a variety of work, including keeping an eye on Alice, she brings books by motor car to nearby mining towns. Mayor Monroe is very controlling and protective of Alice. An old schoolmate, who she views as too wild and his reputation too notorious dips in and out of her life in Missoula. Sidney Walker comes from wealth and he is a gambler, heavy drinker and always, always teases Alice when he runs into her. His mother is a social power in town.

When Alice thinks of the idea of fitting out a boxcar as a lending library, and starts to fundraise with the moneyed company and townspeople, Sidney's mother steps in to thwart the plan. She believes it is dangerous to let "those people" experience the power of words. In a surprising twist, Alice calls checkmate on Mrs. Walker and her plan goes forward, along with the hire of an unusual choice for the person who would serve as the boxcar librarian. The first two men to interview just didn't get Alice's vision. The boxcar will be hitched to trains that run through mining towns and we get to follow the boxcar and its librarian in many sweet and scary encounters and adventures.

And then there is Millie, an orphan from Texas, raised by her aunt and uncle as a combination older sister and minder of their rambunctious boys. In 1936, she is working for the Work Progress Agency (WPA) Federal Writers Project in a component that oversees a state by state guidebook project. Writers, photographer, editors, typists and interviewers travel about their assigned state to interview people in urban and remote areas and put together a a book meant to attract visitors. Millie, an editor in Washington, DC is sent to Missoula Montana to address a serious issue with Montana's project. Thus, the office staff initially views her as the enemy.

These women are phenomenal characters with rich stories and very different motherless backgrounds. All are book lovers, independent for their times and just interesting. So are the various support characters, the setting and the cultural and political stories of each of their initial eras: Montana's union battles are notorious and well represented in The Boxcar Librarian. Prohibition plays a role as well. The depression and the ups and downs of the New Deal and the WPA is a rich part of this story. Each woman learns more about poverty, if not personally than through their exposure to people in need. Each learns more about corruption in government and about the despotic nature of powerful corporations that rule with iron fists. So, for me, the rather progressive nature of the book was most welcome. It does not so much lecture as lull one into sympathy. This is a well researched and beautifully written book. One of my few "couldn't put it down," new to me authors.

4.5 stars, rounded up. Absolutely wonderful historical fiction from Labuskes that follows three different women in Montana at different times, and eventually twines their stories together. Labuskes tackles a lot in this story of courageous women living in difficult times and circumstances, united by a love of books and reading. I'm knocking a half-star off just because I didn't care for the hurried wrap-up at the end; I thought the story would have stood stronger without giving a quick summary of the rest of these women's lives. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for a digital review copy.

This book is one of my favorite genres, historical fiction.
With that said, I had a hard time keeping up with the three different characters in the book.
I would like to have been able to flip back through some pages in the beginning because it was a bit confusing, but I wasn’t able to since I was reading on my Kindle. The first half was slow going. There was, in my opinion, way too much going on in this story. I wasn’t quite sure where the author was going and what she wanted this book to be.
If you are from Montana you would probably really enjoy this read and its description and love for the state.
The Boxcar Librarian was a book I would have bought due to the genre and description, but was not a favorite of mine.

The lives of three women collide during the Great Depression through their love of books and the tragedies and triumphs of the union movement.

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 5/5 Characters: 5/5

Loved this historical fiction centered in Montana in the early 1900s. Three timelines for three characters that slowly converge: Millie Lang (1936), exiled to Missoula to “fix” the state’s contribution to the depression era American Guide Series, sponsored by the Federal Writers Project of the WPA. Alice Monroe (1924), small town Missoula librarian born to wealth, who works to get more books into more hands via rural visits. Colette Durand (1914), daughter of a Shakespeare loving union organizer for the miners employed by the Anaconda Mining Company.

An excellent cast of supporting characters, lots of action and surprising plot twists, well-researched details of the time period, and plenty of interesting locations (e.g. Glacier National Park, Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lakes, Missoula mining camps) — all vividly brought to life. Lots of literary references, both in terms of very apt quotes and individual books for an assortment of characters and the real impact they had. Really demolished the stereotype of the “lower classes” being uninteresting in learning and mind expansion. She handled themes of vengeance, injustice, and restrictions on and expectations of women adroitly with real reflection on how to know what “doing the right thing” means, and what it might cost. Loved the Boxcar library itself (apparently you can see the Lumberman’s library box car in Fort Missoula — I may take a trip!)

A great read!

Some quotes:

“Everyone had a story, and most people were just trying to get by. They didn’t deserve to become empty vessels to hold other people’s anger and insecurities.“

“So did writers. They saw the extremes in life as appealing – tear courage, fear, and strength, love and hate. They were what made humans human. But Millie didn’t think of herself as a writer. She thought of herself as a journalist. She was there to tell other people’s stories."

*Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own *

Where do I begin?

This book captures everything I love about historical fiction. It's a beautifully written story that I couldn't put down, and I will recommend it to my friends once it's released in March. As you probably know, any novel focused on books is a must-read for me. I've read a few historical fiction books about books, but this one was unlike the others. I wasn't even aware of Boxcar Library, at least not back then, and it was a fascinating story to read; I even found myself doing some research after finishing the book because I wanted to learn more about it. I was captivated from start to end; part of me didn't want the book to end. I loved learning about the library's history.

I loved that it took place in Montana. My grandparents used to live in Missoula, Montana, and I visited there several times and enjoyed reading about it. The descriptions were so detailed that I envisioned myself among Millie, Alice, and Colette in Montana. I enjoyed reading about each of the characters' views and different timelines. I enjoyed reading from each character's point of view, but Alice and Colette stood out the most for me. I was fascinated from the start about how the three characters would connect. I enjoyed reading their individual stories, but the way the characters intertwined flowed beautifully.

I could tell how much research went into this book, and I learned so much from reading the book. It started out a little slowly, but only during the character introductions. After that, I struggled to find a stopping point because so much was happening. The Boxcar Librarian is the second book by Brianna Labuskes that I have read, but I have a couple more on my list that I am eager to read! Now I want to read her thrillers. For any fan of historical fiction who enjoys books about books, I highly recommend this.

In 1924, Alice Monroe was the only daughter of Missoula Montana’s wealthy mayor and a town librarian. Due to her poor health she had led a sheltered life and retreated into books. They brought adventure, and traveling to the outskirts of town to lend them to poor miners brought happiness. One day Alice decided to turn a boxcar into a library to serve miners far from Missoula. Some considered books dangerous because they might give miners ideas to better themselves, but Alice persisted.

Colette Durand lived with her father in the town of Hell Raisin’ Gulch in Montana. Though he worked sixteen-hour shifts for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, Claude kept a cheerful outlook. He quoted passages from the Bard, and taught Colette to love reading. Miners had hard lives, died early, and were always in debt to the company. Claude wanted to unionize, but beatings and murders made miners afraid. In 1921 her father was shot and killed. Colette knew it was company men who killed him, and vowed revenge. After years riding the rails disguised as a man, looking for his killers, Colette landed a job as a boxcar librarian.

In 1936 Millie Lang was sent to Washington DC to work on a travel guide project. She was soon transferred to Missoula Montana to find out why a group of writers didn’t provide material. She had to learn about the state and was assisted by Alice Monroe, the town’s librarian. Alice opened her eyes to the hard lives of miners, politicians owned by mining companies, and stories of its people. Later, Millie heard about a missing librarian and a connection to Alice. Her attention was piqued.

Though each of these women came from different times and places, their stories convened in Missoula Montana in 1936. It took a lot of clever plot maneuvering by the author to make it happen, but the suspense and romance leading up to its satisfying conclusion was worth the back-and-forth between characters. The storyline is based on a real boxcar library in Missoula Montana, as well as real events in miner’s lives from that time period. It was a learning experience for me.

Recommended for Adults.