A murky, confusing story, deliberately so from what I could tell. The hidden agenda embraced a multitude of topics ranging from feminism and women's suffrage in the late 1800's to rape, the legacy of slavery, and British imperialism ~ all too much to roll into the personal story of a very young woman cast aside by a father for a scandal the reader never discovers.

The plot whipsawed around all these themes and only barely touched on the most expected theme: books, the library and a literary mystery. Chapters hare off tangentially to expound on these political themes only to return to the main characters in the story as if their place in the narrative is to change the course of lives for people of non-white lineage. A most unsatisfying read and one that needed a heavy editing before publication. ( )

The novel explores composite themes such as racism, colorism, sexual abuse, and gender identity within the confines of Victorian society. The Library Thief, a debut novel by Kuchenga Shenjé confronts racism, colorism, sexual assault and gender identity in a Victorian England setting, issues that are still well-known today.
Florence Granger, a young woman disowned by her father, intercepts a letter and finds herself entangled in a web of secrets as she undertakes the task of restoring Lord Francis Belfield's rare book collection at Rose Hall.
Wesley and his willingness to accept Florence and befriend her was touching, as he was the much-needed friend. Wesley carried his own secret and was still kind to Florence.
Overall, the complexity of the characters kept me glued to the story, and considering this is the author’s debut novel, I feel she did a rather good job, and look forward to see what’s coming next. ( )

I choose to read The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé because, well... library! Add to that the potential of a thief and a mystery and the book becomes even more promising. This book, however, is not much of a mystery and not very much about the actual library or the books. Florence's story is interesting and ends in an unexpected way. However, I do wish a book that has library in the title was more about the library and the books!

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/06/the-library-thief.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher’s blog tour. ( )

Florence has been kicked out by her father. She has come across a letter to her father, a book binder, asking him to come and restore an old library. Florence decides to take this on her own and heads to Rose Hall. But she soon discovers many secrets!

I started to read this book physically and I just couldn’t get into it. So, I got it on audio from the library. I have a bit more patience with an audiobook. I did finish it but it was not a favorite.

When this book begins, your heart goes out to Florence but as the story moves along, I just didn’t like her very much. Then there is the middle section. Now, I am not a prude, but there were like 2-3 chapters that were just about Florence and her past sexual experiences. (She is a bit of a harlot 😂😂). I was like…why are we talking about this now. 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Now, I did enjoy the time period of Victorian England and learning about the hidden race in some of the characters. Pretty unique…all the lies surrounding some of the characters. The story itself is a bit spastic and scattered.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

First off: if you haven't yet read the publisher's blurb for the The Library Thief at the top of its GoodReads page, DON'T. There's a spoiler in it that will have a significant effect on how you experience the unfolding of the plot.

That said...

The Library Thief is neither a full-on mystery nor a full-on Gothic, but it has elements of both and makes for an engaging read. Florence, a bookbinder's daughter who hopes to work in the same field—and who has been banished from her home—takes on a job doing major repairs on a Lord's rare book collection. A job that just happens to come with room and board.

Florence is living in an uneasy, liminal space. No longer welcome at the not-all-that-welcoming home in which she was raised, she's now living on the "downstairs" side of the upstairs-downstairs divide. When Lord Belfield tells her she should give up her dreams of attending university or making a living binding and repairing books, that becoming a governess would be a great step up for her and probably as high as she can hope to go, she smiles politely and nods. His "generosity" in employing Florence is the only thing standing between her and homelessness.

There are tensions and a mystery in Lord Belfield's home. His younger brother, furious at not being the heir, is constantly asking for money and urging Belfield to sell family heirlooms. The brother also feels free to force his sexual "favors" on any woman with a class standing lower than his. The mystery involves the death of Lord Belfield's wife, who apparently went out walking in the middle of the night and fell from a local bridge. Out of respect to Belfield, the death isn't being investigated by police, but it is fodder for lots of local gossip. Most locals are happy to accused Lady Belfield's lady's maid—who just happened to be Black—because, you know, "they're not like us."

This gives you a good sense of all that's roiling beneath the surface in this book. As Florence becomes convinced Lady Belfield was murdered and begins her own hunt for the culprit, her situation grows increasingly dangerous.

If you enjoy mysteries/Gothics with independent heroines who are willing to take all sorts of risks and if you enjoy rooting for downstairs in that upstairs-downstairs divide, you're in for a treat with The Library Thief.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. ( )