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By Rebecca Makkai
"Lucy Hull, a young children’s librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, finds herself both 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 anti-gay classes.
Lucy, a rebel at heart beneath her librarian’s exterior, 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 the Drakes, Lucy allows herself to be hijacked by Ian. The odd pair embarks on an improvised road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets and an inconvenient boyfriend thrown in their path. Along the way, Lucy struggles to make peace with her Russian immigrant father and his fugitive past, and is forced to use his shady connections to escape discovery."
Published as an adult book, since it revolves around Lucy's relationship with might-be-gay Ian - who is ten - I'm including it here. Check out this interview with the author, where she talks about the story behind writing "The Borrower." And add your review in comments!
4 comments:
I just read this book last week and really enjoyed it -- especially fun, being a children's librarian myself! I liked the librarian character's efforts to give the child tools for self-acceptance without overtly discussing the possibility that he might be gay. All kids could use that kind of encouragement.
I can't wait to read this. I wish MY librarian had kidnapped me when I was 10.
I loved this book. I wish Lucy had attached the lists that she gave Ian.
This sounds like one of those great stay-up-way-too-late reads! AND it's a road trip. Adding it to my list right now.
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