The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy (2017)

Obviously I chose this book because it was about libraries. This is about Hanna, whose marriage in London did not work out and she returns back home to Crossarra and works as a librarian in Lissbeg. These are small towns on the fictional Finfarran Peninsula, though there are plenty of peninsula's on the western coast of Ireland, with names very similar to the ones mentioned in the book. I of course like any librarian, especially those that work with under-served populations, so I love reading about her weekly trips into the countryside with her mobile library van. Unfortunately she seems not to have heard the current day library conversation about libraries being more than sources of books, but become community centers. I have seen that in my travels across the country. Her enthusiastic assistant Conor seems to realize this instinctively.

The story is about the usual developers wanting to develop a beautiful area to line their own pockets, but don't think about population it will affect. In helping her community unite to fight the developers, Hanna finds her own center and where she belongs. Her mother Mary Casey in her neon pink bungalow drives her nuts. Her daughter Jazz comes home occasionally and that is good while it lasts. Her ex-husband Malcolm still upsets her. One thing that helps is an old cabin left to her by aunt Maggie and Fury, the builder with his dog Divil, who helps her restore it. Conor and his friends, Sister Michael, Brian from the planning office - all help.

Maybe worth looking up some more books by Feliciey Hayes-McCoy.