The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger

A gift from a friend who knows I love books, libraries and enjoyed Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Travelers Wife.

This is an illustrated (illustrations by the author!) novel for adults – it is important to note that this is not a children’s book…which you will discover upon reading.

A beautifully haunting tale that speaks directly to those of us who keep lists and notes of every book we’ve read.  The Night Bookmobile mysteriously  appears one night carrying every book Alexandra has ever read — from her first picture book, to her cookbooks and even her diaries.  The encounter with the bookmobile and it’s reticent driver/librarian  helps her decide upon a career as a librarian, but she longs to work in the Night Bookmobile and wanders the streets at night hoping for its return.

Many years pass and Alexandra becomes more and more alone — reading ever more voraciously to try and impress the librarian to return with his mysterious bookmobile —  and then one night it does…

I will not reveal more about the story (no spoilers), and I surely didn’t like the ending, but this short book and its beautiful illustrations stayed with me long after I finished it.  As the author notes in the after words:  “this is a story about the claims that books place on their readers, the imbalance between our inner and outer lives, a cautionary take of the seduction of the written word.”

Book lovers – this book will enchant you, have you nodding in recognition, and then astound you with the ending.

A bittersweet, depressing, yet somehow uplifting book.  How can it be all these things?  You’ll just have to read it yourself.