A fascinating story of race in Victorian England. It started out like your typical historical fiction - a young female bookbinder enters the stately home of a lord to complete work on the library, only to find secrets and a suspicious death; however the story took a very different turn to one that I hadn't expected. Whilst being well versed in the history of the colonies, frankly, I wasn't really aware the lives of black Britons who lived in England prior to the Windrush generation, so this book made for very interesting reading. A compelling and well written tale. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and the setting, the characters and storyline were very engaging. Thanks for letting me review it!

"The Library Thief" by Kuchenga Shenjé is an updated gothic mystery. It has the imposing house in a remote location, the mystery surrounding the mistress's death, the oh so evil character and much more. Like "The Fingersmith" there are books and forbidden love, and any references towards "Jane Eyre" are a nod towards colonialism and inter-racial relationships. This last point is heavily explored later in the book and provides a different look at Victorian society and it fits in nicely with current topical discussions.

I thought this was brilliant and the plot was so complex it’s hard to know where to begin in leaving a review. Florence is an incredible character- brave, intelligent, resourceful and my heart went out to her for the suffering she endured.
So much to think about and I’m still pondering and longing for a sequel in order to find out what has happened to Florence in Jamaica and Orion, Sybil and Miss Arabella long after I had finished the book- so if that doesn’t tell you how good it is I don’t know what will!

I really enjoyed this book, it was atmospheric, gothic and full of mystery. The characters were well written and realistic as were the settings.
I liked the intrigue throughout which kept a dark atmosphere going all the way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc

After seeing other review I think I may be the only one who actually loved this book!

Set in the early 20th century, Florence, the daughter of a bookbinder arrives at the door of Rose Hall to take on the meticulous job of restoring the rare collection of books of Lord Belfield.

Lord Belfield recently lost his wife and had written to Florence's father to employ his services so is shocked to see Florence arrive at his home.

Unbeknown to him, Florence is fleeing her home in Manchester after bringing scandal to her home. Her father has made in abundantly clear she is no longer welcome.

Rose Hall seems to be breathing off secrets and scandals itself. What has happened there before her arrival and what secrets is it still holding?

This was a real multi-layered read that seamlessly came together. I found it a really powerful story that was not only totally absorbing but warm and true to it's time, hitting the tough subjects of racism and 'womens' places at that time of life.

I loved the complexity of some of the characters, each one brilliantly written with real depth.

I read this in one sitting and would recommend to anyone who loves a historical fiction that isn't all about the war!

Huge thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.

I just reviewed The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenjé. #TheLibraryThief #NetGalley

This book started off really interesting but then it lost me when it started to get really woke and racist..

It was a slow-burn story of a young girl who leaves her father to become a book-binder and needs somewhere to live so gets herself a job in the library of Lord of the manor.

At first you think the story is going to revolve around books but it takes a real woke turn of racism, bigotry, rape, gender and sexuality.

This book was a soap-box for the author to preach on.

I loved the lead character in this novel, Florence and I couldn't put the book down until I had finished, because it was a real page turner. So it ticked all the boxes for me. Highly recommended.

This story is really about racial prejudice in Britain in the early part of the twentieth century. It’s also about one young woman’s personal journey of discovery. We first meet Florence blagging her way into stately Rose Hall to become its librarian, a job meant for her father. She finds a half-burnt diary in the grate. Creepy! As the story progresses, we find out more about Florence’s black heritage, of which she had no idea. Then her life takes an unexpected twist.

I have absolutely loved my time spent in the company of Florence, the lead character in The Library Thief.

Florence has never quite fitted in, with her family, amongst friends or in society. After a brief romance leaves her no longer welcome at home with her father, she travels to Rose Hall to work for Lord Belfield as a bookbinder, restoring his extensive collection of books.

Whilst working there, Florence discovers his beautiful wife Persephone had died in strange circumstances and she can't rest until she discovers what happened. Making friends among the household staff, Florence continues working on the books whilst trying to avoid the unwanted attention of Lord Belfield's brother Chester. But on one fateful night the course of Florence's life will change forever, and she may lose everything she's worked so hard for.

This is a brilliant fusion of The Vanishing Half and Jane Eyre - an exploration of race in a novel with a gothic backdrop 🖤 An absolutely stunning historical fiction debut!

This is publishing in April 2024, and I highly recommend pre-ordering this