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Start giftingThe Last Chance Library
Narrator
Nathalie Pownall
This audiobook uses AI narration.
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Length
8 hours 12 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“This is an engaging tale of loss, grief, regret and loneliness, and how community, shared purpose and compassion can lead the way to healing and new starts. June is grieving the loss of her Mother and living in the home they shared that serves as a memory bank of her youth. The library, where her Mother worked, and June now works is the only other place she is comfortable. An odd assortment of people use her library on a daily basis, some to work, some to read, some for companionship and some for escape. When that refuge for so many is threatened facets of all their personalities emerge that are so deeply buried, the person had no idea of their capabilities. You will laugh, become exasperated, shed tears, and possibly plan a trip to your local library when you finish this book. A heartwarming read that will engage you from beginning to ending.”
— Jackie • Fiction Addiction
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick
A Library Reads Pick
June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.
Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.
Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer's feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won't believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.
To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she's determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.
Freya Sampson works in television as a creator and Executive Producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British Royal Family, and a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied History at Cambridge University and in 2018 was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Chance Library is her debut novel.
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Reviews
“A wonderfully warm and uplifting story of kindness, community, and love that made me laugh, cry, cheer.”—Clare Pooley, New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project"The Last Chance Library is a heart-squeezing and charming story about grief, love and the power of community. An absolute delight.”—USA Today bestselling author Colleen Oakley
"The Last Chance Library is absolutely irresistible! Curl up and indulge in Freya Sampson’s charming novel about a shy librarian in a small town with a great cause. You’ll have such a good time and you'll love the unexpected twist at the end!”—New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer
“Both spellbinding and tender, The Last Chance Library is a gorgeous love letter to books, a celebration of the characters that make a community, and an inspiring call to muster our courage and fight for the things that matter. Simply put, this book is sublime.”—Libby Hubscher, author of Meet Me in Paradise
“Author Sampson has created a gem of a book populated by vivid personalities and a story that weaves together heroes and villains, love and loss, mourning and growth as it follows June and the Chalcot community as they seek to save their library—which offers so much more than books. A delightful exploration of personal growth, inner strength, and the importance of family, friends, and love.”―Kirkus (starred review)
"Fans of libraries and heartfelt, humorous women’s fiction with a powerful message and a hint of romance won’t want to miss this one! It’s so good that readers may very well devour it in one sitting."―Library Journal (starred review)
"A sweet testament to the power of reading, community, and the library."―Booklist
“With The Last Chance Library, British author Freya Sampson delivers a refreshingly feel-good first novel about the sustaining power of books and how libraries unite communities and forge lasting relationships that improve lives...The Last Chance Library unravels with great wit and tenderness. Sampson assembles clever, funny scenes where June transforms from a wallflower into a take-charge, crafty young woman who is forced to handle difficult people and navigate situations that enlarge her ingenuity. Readers will eagerly invest in the cause to save the library and be greatly amused by plot twists that play out with pleasant surprises and heart-tugging twists.”―Shelf Awareness
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