Books - Review

Tom is a history teacher in a modern London school, but he has personal experience of witch trials and has met Shakespeare. He is, of course, over 400 years old. One of a tiny group of people who live for over 1,000 years, persecuted whenever their unusual longevity is discovered, he struggles to make sense of his life as those he loves grow old and die while he hardly changes.

Interesting plot, nicely told.

Nora is full of regrets for decisions she has made which seem to have screwed up not only her life but those of her family and friends too - giving up swimming, leaving the band, ditching Dan two days before the wedding. She decides to take an overdose, but instead of dying she finds herself in the Midnight Library, a place where, with the help of her beloved old school librarian, she can review all the bad decisions she made, and choose to live again. The library holds an infinite number of books, each one holding a different version of Nora's life, all she has to do is choose the right one. As she searches for her best possible life, she starts to realise what is really important to her, and that, maybe, it is more about how you live the life you are in rather than getting hung up on what might have been.

Great, really nice story, very life-affirming.