Summer Hours at the Robbers Library

A Novel

By: Sue Halpern

Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg, Dara Rosenberg, Allyson Ryan

“Sometimes the best stories in the library aren’t found on its shelves; they’re walking through its doors and congregating by the reference desk. Sue Halpern knows this and mines the setting for comic and tragicomic gold.”—Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book Is Overdue! and The Deadbeat

From journalist and author Sue Halpern comes a wry, observant look at contemporary life and its refugees. Halpern’s novel is an unforgettable tale of family. . . the kind you come from and the kind you create.

People are drawn to libraries for all kinds of reasons. Most come for the books themselves, of course; some come to borrow companionship. For head librarian Kit, the public library in Riverton, New Hampshire, offers what she craves most: peace. Here, no one expects Kit to talk about the calamitous events that catapulted her out of what she thought was a settled, suburban life. She can simply submerge herself in her beloved books and try to forget her problems.

But that changes when fifteen-year-old, home-schooled Sunny gets arrested for shoplifting a dictionary. The judge throws the book at Sunny—literally—assigning her to do community service at the library for the summer. Bright, curious, and eager to connect with someone other than her off-the-grid hippie parents, Sunny coaxes Kit out of her self-imposed isolation. They’re joined by Rusty, a Wall Street high-flyer suddenly crashed to earth.

In this little library that has become the heart of this small town, Kit, Sunny, and Rusty are drawn to each other, and to a cast of other offbeat regulars. As they come to terms with how their lives have unraveled, they also discover how they might knit them together again and finally reclaim their stories.

Good travel read

Good story, kept my interest, enjoyed the ending, a book of life’s ups & downs & the ability to overcome.

Redemptive but not, as some have said, a light read, if light means little to take with you and ponder.

It felt a bit like a parable. Well formed and likable characters grapple with loss and identity alone and in community. While the situations sometimes feel constructed to serve the story, that is convenient for the writer and the reader, to efficiently present circumstances to serve the characters life journeys and insight. All the characters make progress and I did too. The book creates the expectation that positive progress will continue, and gratefully, ends without a happily ever after. That feels real.

Enjoyable read

I wasn’t sure I would enjoy this book, but I found it very enjoyable. It’s light reading, But it isn’t silly or trite. The characters all developed, by the end of the book, into new versions of themselves (with the exception of the older men). I would be happy to recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable light read.

Great Story

The story and performance were outstanding. Loved the way the writer told Kit’s story while twisting in Sunny and Rusty’s adventure. You can easily imagine sitting in that old library and listening to the “Four” talk about their life and loves.

Excellent!

Awesome novel! Multifaceted, complex characters and thoughtful plot. Well researched and artfully written. -- Rev. Stephen York, Maine