Librarians. We all have our stereotypes about this group. That stern-faced, austerely dressed, monarch of the Dewey Decimal System who never raises the voice, casts the stink-eye on those who dog-ear pages, and appears (for all intents and purposes) to not eat very much fiber. Yes, while we may have experienced one of those in our day, for the most part librarians are warm, interesting, and the best resource for pretty much any information you may require.
Also — librarians are actually very passionate people. Just see the reaction you get when it is suggested that a book be banned from the shelf! Most librarians I know would rather go to the gallows than allow a book to be banned, censored, or burned. They are actually quite a tough lot and worthy of all the support and praise we can heap upon their catalog-filled heads. Therefore, books about librarians should always be considered when choosing something interesting to read.
My dear friend Julie, a serious mystery junky, recently handed me a copy of “Jade Dragon Mountain” by Elsa Hart, with the words, “just read it.” Naturally, Julie was right. Hart, for her first novel, has created a marvelous mystery set in 18th century China. Her back-drop is Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which is located in Lijiang, in Yunnan Province in southwestern China. Unlike today, in those days Lijang, originally called Dayan, was not a preferred travel destination. It was remote, being the last town before the Tibetan border, surrounded by marauding tribes of bandits, close to fever-infested swamps, and not known for warm hospitality.
Li Du, an exiled librarian from the emperor’s own library, found Dayan to be the perfect destination after his banishment from Beijing. Li Du had been wandering China for five years after his dismissal and was completely out of touch with current events. Imagine his surprise when he entered the municipality, where his cousin was the local magistrate, to find everyone in the city preparing for a visit from the emperor himself. The very man who expelled him from library service!
Of course in this story the Jesuits are a constant presence, along with representatives from the East India Company, and the ubiquitous traveling storyteller who appears to continually muddle his own personal story. A suspicious lot if there ever was one. Then the Jesuit is killed. Our librarian cannot help himself. Li Du’s keen mind goes to work on the problem and with his accumulated knowledge from books, the world, and human character analysis he sets about finding the killer. Twists and turns abound, and this mystery has a unique conclusion. Due to such flawless writing and exciting plot, I confess, I read the book straight through well into the night — and at this moment I do wish Ms. Hart would write a little faster because the second book in the series will not be out for a while. Sigh.
For consolation, I turned to a recently translated German best seller “The Little Paris Bookshop” by Nina George, translated by Simon Pare. A new book is excellent consolation, because that is what new books do — they console when you are waiting for the next volume in a series. This is a story about a Literary Apothecary named Jean Perdu. Living in his own time capsule of grief, due to the departure of his lover Manon over twenty years ago — who left only a letter which he never opened — Perdu has developed the unique ability to find the right book to cure every other book shopper’s ills. These shoppers seek him out knowing that he will help them through their plight. The bookstore itself, by the way, is a barge docked on the Seine in Paris. Although Perdu impeccably maintains the vessel it has not left the dock in more years than anyone can remember. This is the beginning of the adventure.
A woman, Catherine, moves into Perdu’s apartment building. Perdu hears her crying continually from a broken heart and brings her a pile of books. Inside one of the books is the unopened letter from Manon. Catherine finds the letter, forces Perdu to read it, and what he reads prompts him to lift anchor and make a journey to the south of France and the memory of Manon. Naturally there has to be a stowaway. In this case it is Perdu’s other neighbor Max, a famous novelist. The remainder of the book comprises their adventures, Perdu’s letters back to Catherine (if you sense a budding romance there you are correct), helping others find redemption themselves, and making beautiful new memories. I loved this book. It was a perfect summer read, and yes, I did it in one sitting — well into another night. I was consoled.
But what about other readers? Younger adult readers (and often not so young as well), in need of a new book like to have their librarians possess a few more unique characteristics. Genevieve Cogman, author of the “Invisible Library,” has created a delightful series featuring Irene, a professional spy for a mysterious library that collects important works of fiction from all different realities (dimensions). Think the “Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis for a moment. If you equate the Wood Between the Worlds as the location of the library and the pools in the Wood as portals to various worlds you are on the right track. In this series, the portals (the Narnian Pools) from the library (the Narnian Wood) go to various realities of our world.
For this first adventure, Irene and her trusty assistant Kai (you will really enjoy reading about this character) enter an alternative London, England, to retrieve a very dangerous book. Unfortunately, this London is threatened with chaos infection perpetrated by magical figures that have gotten out of control. A vampire was initially in possession of the book. However, he was murdered (not as gory as I would have thought), and the book stolen.
Now Irene and Kai are caught up in a deadly web of intrigue, numerous clues that appear to conflict, and are assaulted by mysterious magical beings who collaborate with secret societies that use deadly mechanical devices (Steampunk — I love it!!). Of course as this is Victorian London, albeit an alternate one, we also have a Sherlock Holmes-like detective offering his services to Irene and Kai. Irene must not only accept his help but also hide her own magical powers. Yes, these librarians use magic. There is really no end to what librarians can do when they put their minds to it.
If you want a swashbuckling adventure where Zeppelins fill this London sky, reprehensible assassins lurk at fancy balls, and deadly devices built by nefarious scientists threaten our librarians at every turn, grab a copy and start reading. There are currently four books in the series — but unfortunately, their release in the U.S. is going at a very slow pace. So, be patient, read this first book, and think about where the next one will take you — it should be here by the end of September. For immediate consolation, check out “The Great Library” series by Rachel Caine.
Elaine Holden of Peterborough is a nationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia. She is the director of The Reading Foundation and senior lecturer at Rivier College Graduate School of Education.