The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson is a coming of age (or into herself) with a focus on the role of the library within a small town novel. It is clear that June Jones, the main character, is slowly distancing herself from the world by drawing inward. She is the library assistant for her small hometown library ( the same one her mother was head librarian for until her death). June lives in the same house, with her mother’s things with few friends and little interaction with others except at the library. Even her cat hates her.
Things are happening in the world and June is going to need to choose how she deals with adversity. First the library is being considered to be closed. A group of long term users form a group to help the situation, while June is banned from joining, she does need to contribute, somehow, someway. Meanwhile her boss is pressuring her to join into the wedding festivities of her daughter, something June does NOT want to do. The pressures of all the happenings are hard, but there are good points too with new friends and a purpose. Finding a purpose with all the eccentric patrons brings June to a point where she needs to move ahead.
While this is not a traditional coming of age novel, it does allow June to find her path and forge a new life for herself. As part of the novel, we are reminded of all the ways libraries are used and how they are a strong part of any community. The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson was a good read.
