Staff Picks Category: Libraries

In a last-ditch effort to escape her powerful and dangerous father, Esther stows away on the traveling book wagon of the Librarians, a group that carries government-approved reading material between far-flung desert communities. She’s quickly discovered hiding amongst the books, but when the Librarians invite her to travel and train with them, Esther quickly learns that being a Librarian isn’t just about bringing state-sanctioned stories from town to town. The Librarians have dangerous secrets, and as Esther grows closer to the group, she realizes how little she actually knows about the restrictive and desolate society in which she lives.

This novella is a quick and immersive read that puts a modern, feminist twist on the classic Western. While there are horse chases, small-town sheriffs, and toothpick-chewing rebels, the story is about the importance of resistance in the face of tyranny and the inherent value of intellectual freedom. Esther and the Librarians are a diverse and interesting group of heroes that face danger at every turn, and I had a hard time putting this book down!