THE LIBRARY OF BORROWED HEARTS
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
Two young lovers. Sixty long years. One bookish mystery worth solving.
Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling: to take care of her three younger siblings, to find herself, to make ends meet. She’s just about at the end of her rope when she stumbles across a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at the local flea market. Deciding it’s a sign of her luck turning, she takes it home with her–only to be shocked when her cranky hermit of a neighbor swoops in and offers to buy it for an exorbitant price.
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
Two young lovers. Sixty long years. One bookish mystery worth solving.
Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling: to take care of her three younger siblings, to find herself, to make ends meet. She’s just about at the end of her rope when she stumbles across a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at the local flea market. Deciding it’s a sign of her luck turning, she takes it home with her–only to be shocked when her cranky hermit of a neighbor swoops in and offers to buy it for an exorbitant price. Intrigued, Chloe takes a closer look at the book only to find notes scribbled in the margins between two young lovers back when the book was new…one of whom is almost definitely Jasper Holmes, the curmudgeon next door.
When she begins following the clues left behind, she discovers this isn’t the only old book in town filled with romantic marginalia. This kickstarts a literary scavenger hunt that Chloe is determined to see through to the end. What happened to the two tragic lovers who corresponded in the margins of so many different library books? And what does it have to do with the old, sad man next door–who only now has begun to open his home and heart to Chloe and her siblings?
In a romantic tale that spans the decades, Chloe discovers that there’s much more to her grouchy old neighbor than meets the eye. And in allowing herself to accept the unexpected friendship he offers, she learns that some love stories begin in the unlikeliest of places.
- Sourcebooks Casablanca
- Paperback
- April 2024
- 368 Pages
- 9781728256245
Buy the Book
$16.99
About Lucy Gilmore
Lucy Gilmore is a contemporary romance author who loves puppies, rainbows, and happily-ever-afters. She began her reading and writing career as an English literature major and fell madly in love with all types of romance. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hanging out with her two Akitas, hiking, biking, or reading. For more information, visit lucygilmore.com.
Discussion Questions
1. The Library of Borrowed Hearts follows the lives and POVs of several different characters throughout the course of the book. Who do you consider to be the “main” main character and why?
2. The love story between Catherine and Jasper doesn’t end with a traditional happily ever after. Would their lives have been better or worse if things had worked out differently between them?
3. Did you blame Catherine for the end of her relationship with Jasper? Would she ever have been content with a life in Colville? Would Jasper have been content living with Catherine in New York City? What decision would you have made in her shoes? Would that decision have been different if there was no baby involved?
4. Jasper’s garden contains several plants and flowers with literary ties. Were you able to recognize any or all of them?
5. Have you ever found writing in the margins of a used book? Does it intrigue you or irritate you? What would you do if you found decades-old love notes in the margins of a novel?
6. The relationship between Chloe and Zach is left open-ended without a promise of anything for the future. Do you think they end up together? Why or why not? How does their potential love story compare or contrast with Catherine and Jasper’s?
7. For Jasper, a major revelation is that “life isn’t always about making good choices, but about having good choices.” How would better choices have impacted his life?
8. Almost all the characters in this book use reading as a way to connect with the other people in their life. How does reading affect your personal relationships? Are there any close friends you’ve made through a bookish connection?
9. The “curmudgeonly old man” trope is very popular in books and movies throughout history. Why do you think that is?
10. Chloe’s situation with her family is similar to Jasper’s in so many ways. In what ways do their life choices overlap? How do they differ?
11. Catherine Martin shares a first name with both Catherine Barkley from A Farewell to Arms and Catherine Earnshaw from Wuthering Heights. What is the significance of this?