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Title details for The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé - Available

The Library Thief

A Novel

by Kuchenga Shenjé
ebook
1 of 2 copies available
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1 of 2 copies available
The library is under lock and key. But its secrets can't be contained.
1896. After he brought her home from Jamaica as a baby, Florence's father had her hair hot-combed to make her look like the other girls. But as a young woman, Florence is not so easy to tame—and when she brings scandal to his door, the bookbinder throws her onto the streets of Manchester.
Intercepting her father's latest commission, Florence talks her way into the forbidding Rose Hall to restore its rare books. Lord Francis Belfield's library is old and full of secrets—but none so intriguing as the whispers about his late wife...
Evocative, arresting and tightly plotted, The Library Thief is at once a propulsive Gothic mystery and a striking exploration of race, gender and self-discovery in Victorian England.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 7, 2024

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9780369749765

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9780369749765
      • File size: 1578 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      April 12, 2024

      DEBUT In Shenj�'s Victorian era-set novel, Florence, the rebellious daughter of a Manchester bookbinder, is ejected by him from her family home. She ends up on the doorstep of Lord Belfield, an aristocrat in need of a restorer for the books in his library. When Florence finds the half-burned diary of Belfield's dead wife, which suggests a troubled marriage, she begins investigating Lady Belfield's drowning, which was presumed to be an accident. As she digs into the background of Lady Belfield's devoted maid, Florence is sent down a path that leads not only to discovering her true identity as a white-passing Black woman but also to uncovering the seamy underbelly of the social mores of Victorian England aristocracy. Containing scenes of assault and unplanned pregnancy, this debut gut-wrenchingly conveys a unique historical perspective on race, gender, and sexuality. VERDICT Shenj� shines a light on LGBTQIA+ love and people of color in Victorian England. No stone is left unturned or unexamined in this gothic mystery that offers a counterpoint to what is often a cis-het and white genre. Fans of Sarah Waters and Bridget Collins might have in Shenj� a new author to add to their TBR lists.--Mara Shatat

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      May 1, 2024
      In Victorian London, Florence Granger is the daughter of a bookbinder and a bookbinder herself. After spending years learning the trade at her father's feet, she is sent to the house of Lord Francis Belfield, whose library is in a state of extraordinary disrepair. Upon her arrival, Florence's presence is rejected and then reluctantly accepted. What Lord Belfield doesn't know is that Florence is Jamaican, passing as a white woman, and that the secrets hidden in his library will change this bookbinder's life and viewpoint permanently. Fans of Kate Morton's books and Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale (2006) will devour this novel easily. What makes the book unique, however, is the shifting perspective of the main character, who walks a thin line as a woman trying to build a life for herself despite and because of her hidden identity. In her debut novel, Shenj� rightfully joins a distinguished line of authors who love books and secrets and know exactly how to combine the two.

      COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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