The Midnight Library is speculative fiction which uses the metaphor of a library of books that provide opportunities to live different versions of a life.   Nora Seed arrives at the library at a point between life and death and is offered the chance to examine her choices, her regrets, and the possible paths from various points in her life’s journey.    She arrives there in a deep depression, mired in hopelessness and despair.    The librarian, Mrs. Elm, helps her to choose books that allow her to relive her life (in parallel universes) to see what life might have been like.    There are no twists or turns in this story.    Nora relives other versions of her own life and over time begins to understand what is important and to learn to accept where she is and to be content.   It is a story of redemption, an mindset of living life well.   The author uses simple language, gentle humor, warmth, and humanism throughout the book.    At times, it feels like a modern parable, tuned to the times, but timeless in its messaging.

There is no rejection, there is the only redirection. Action leading to a reaction. Every second of every day we are entering a new universe. And we spend so much time wishing our lives were different, comparing ourselves to other people and to other versions of ourselves when really most lives contain degrees of good and degrees of bad. Simply Living. If your life isn’t working, you have to ask why. We had time to breathe.

Nora is our guide on this journey.    As she grows, so does our appreciation of the concepts of acceptance of everyday, ordinary choices and attitudes to live a happy, well-adjusted life.   The book resonates with readers because we see a bit of Nora in ourselves and in the people we know and love.    This is a recommended book – 4.2 out of 5.0 stars4.2

An audiobook excerpt: