Such a treat! What You Are Looking For Is in the Library is wholesome, positive comfort food. More anthology than traditional novel, Michiko Aoyama’s work chronicles the experiences of five people who, down on their luck and treading water in life, each find the inspiration they need to change their lives by visiting their neighborhood library.
This book is a love letters to readers, and through each protagonist, Aoyama shows us the power books have to open our minds, lead us to believe in our dreams, and connect us to our communities and loved ones. This is a fairly simple concept for a book, and yet Aoyama manages to craft a page-turner out of vignettes of everyday life. Her writing is crisp, her characters are deeply endearing and relatable, and there is even a little hint of magical realism in the library itself. In just three-hundred pages, we follow a young woman in an early career rut, a young man afraid to take risks, a new mother struggling to balance her career with the obligations of motherhood, a young man grappling with perceived failure, and a retiree trying to carve out his new place in society. Each narrative is compelling and moving.
One of the greatest rewards of being a reader is finding a text that speaks to you, transforms your world view, or helps carry you through a challenging life experience. What You Are Looking For Is in the Library celebrates that beautifully. This is a book I would easily recommend to almost anyone. It is well-written, very accessible, and optimistic.
The Once and Future Lit 