The Borrower

A Novel

By: Rebecca Makkai

Narrated by: Kristen Sieh

In this delightful, funny, and moving first novel, a librarian and a young boy obsessed with reading take to the road.

Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, finds herself both a kidnapper and kidnapped when her favorite patron, ten- year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home. The precocious Ian is addicted to reading, but needs Lucy's help to smuggle books past his overbearing mother, who has enrolled Ian in weekly antigay classes with celebrity Pastor Bob. Lucy stumbles into a moral dilemma when she finds Ian camped out in the library after hours with a knapsack of provisions and an escape plan. Desperate to save him from Pastor Bob and the Drakes, Lucy allows herself to be hijacked by Ian. The odd pair embarks on a crazy road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets, an inconvenient boyfriend, and upsetting family history thrown in their path. But is it just Ian who is running away? Who is the man who seems to be on their tail? And should Lucy be trying to save a boy from his own parents?

Quirky fantastic

This book was a breath of fresh air, very uniquely written and fantastic narration.

seriously, i needed this book...

this book gave me hope in people again and made me feel lucky I got to be a part of this journey!

Excellent!

What a wonderful book. I really enjoyed the adventures of Lucy and Ian. I would love to listen to it again.

Well…

Engaging characters, no justification for what happened, which lowered the number of stars. Ending was ok.

Would have been a bargain at full price

I chose this as a "bargain" title, but it was SO good - worth it as twice the price. great characters. Anyone who loves books and adventure stories will love it. The characterization of the boy Ian is great.

A pleasant surprise

Wasn’t expecting a great book here but it turned out so and be well written, Poignant and charming.

Great book. Perfect reader.

I loved so much about. this book that I am now on a mission to read all of Rebecca Makkai’s books. But more than anything, Kristen Seih is a genius reader. She made Ian come alive. He is such a wonderful character.

Sweet, funny, beautifully written and perfectly read

This books is a must-read. Truly a joy to listen to. Clever, witty, smart, and tender-hearted.

Enjoyable!

The story held my attention to the end! I was a little concerned about the premise, but the author addressed my concerns right up front because the main character has those same concerns. This was a very enjoyable story! I loved all the references to children’s books, too!

Refreshing and enjoyable!

I loved the quirky, sweet nature of this story, and the reader is excellent! I’m a sucker for any story that is library related, and this did not disappoint.