What do you think?
Rate this book
The Boxcar Librarian
Inspired by true events, a thrilling Depression-era novel from the author of The Librarian of Burned Books about a woman’s quest to uncover a mystery surrounding a local librarian and the Boxcar Library—a converted mining train that brought books to isolated rural towns in Montana.
When Works Progress Administration (WPA) editor Millie Lang finds herself on the wrong end of a potential political scandal, she’s shipped off to Montana to work on the state’s American Guide Series—travel books intended to put the nation’s destitute writers to work.
Millie arrives to an eclectic staff claiming their missed deadlines are due to sabotage, possibly from the state’s powerful Copper Kings who don’t want their long and bloody history with union organizers aired for the rest of the country to read. But Millie begins to suspect that the answer might instead lie with the town’s mysterious librarian, Alice Monroe.
More than a decade earlier, Alice Monroe created the Boxcar Library in order to deliver books to isolated mining towns where men longed for entertainment and connection. Alice thought she found the perfect librarian to staff the train car in Colette Durand, a miner’s daughter with a shotgun and too many secrets behind her eyes.
Now, no one in Missoula will tell Millie why both Alice and Colette went out on the inaugural journey of the Boxcar Library, but only Alice returned.
The three women’s stories dramatically converge in the search to uncover what someone is so desperately trying to what happened to Colette Durand.
Inspired by the fascinating, true history of Missoula’s Boxcar Library, the novel blends the story of the strong, courageous women who survived and thrived in the rough and rowdy West with that of the power of standing together to fight for workers’ lives. And through it all shines the capacity of books to provide connection and light to those who need it most.
When Works Progress Administration (WPA) editor Millie Lang finds herself on the wrong end of a potential political scandal, she’s shipped off to Montana to work on the state’s American Guide Series—travel books intended to put the nation’s destitute writers to work.
Millie arrives to an eclectic staff claiming their missed deadlines are due to sabotage, possibly from the state’s powerful Copper Kings who don’t want their long and bloody history with union organizers aired for the rest of the country to read. But Millie begins to suspect that the answer might instead lie with the town’s mysterious librarian, Alice Monroe.
More than a decade earlier, Alice Monroe created the Boxcar Library in order to deliver books to isolated mining towns where men longed for entertainment and connection. Alice thought she found the perfect librarian to staff the train car in Colette Durand, a miner’s daughter with a shotgun and too many secrets behind her eyes.
Now, no one in Missoula will tell Millie why both Alice and Colette went out on the inaugural journey of the Boxcar Library, but only Alice returned.
The three women’s stories dramatically converge in the search to uncover what someone is so desperately trying to what happened to Colette Durand.
Inspired by the fascinating, true history of Missoula’s Boxcar Library, the novel blends the story of the strong, courageous women who survived and thrived in the rough and rowdy West with that of the power of standing together to fight for workers’ lives. And through it all shines the capacity of books to provide connection and light to those who need it most.
456 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2025
1134 people are currently reading
20411 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 902 reviews
May 20, 2025
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
GENRE CLASSIFICATION NOTE - please be advised that IMO, this book does NOT belong in the LGBTQ genre. There is one brief mention of women having relationships but it’s not any of the main characters. There is no sapphic content whatsoever. This specific genre mislabeling is becoming increasingly common; SMH.
Three timelines ranging from 1914 - 1939 with three POV’s creates a challenging start to Brianna Labuskes new novel, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN.
Montana is the primary setting for this story about mobile libraries. Three different women are involved with the operations of a new library built into a railway car that services lumber camps and the tiny towns that line the tracks along the way. These women are bibliophiles through and through, sharing many insights about books that are now considered classics. I thoroughly enjoyed the tidbits of information and added a few books to my TBR because of them. For those readers who are fans of “The Bard”, you will be especially enamored. Labuskes is deft with descriptive prose. I spent many hours feeling extra chilly while reading about the winter months in Montana - bbbrrrr!
As stated in the beginning, it took a long time, more than 50 pages, before the multiple storylines began to settle into a comfortable reading experience. Part of the problem is not enough time to get to know three strong, female characters. The other issue is close timelines. Even tho’ each chapter is unique to a voice and timeline as well as being clearly marked, I found them hard to follow until the 50% mark or a bit later. The chapters were too short and more character development was needed sooner. Elongating the chapters would have permitted the author to give readers deeper insights to backstories that would have helped me understand some of the motivations of the characters. We did get the info needed but it was scattered in a few, high intensity scenes near the end. Rather than feeling like “ah ha”, it was “dang, I wish I knew that 200 pages ago!”
For those who love books, adventure, mystery and light thriller stories, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN will be a good read. Labuskes did an excellent job with research and bringing attention to an event in our history that isn’t well known or documented. This time period is full of huge historical events: the end of WWI, Prohibition, The Depression, Dust Bowl, WWII, racial tensions w/blacks & indigenous peoples, women’s rights, The New Deal and more. It was eye opening to see how little this area of the county was impacted by these events Taking books and other reading materials to these families was a life changing gift for many.
3.5 stars rounded up for bringing an important story about real historical events and people to contemporary readers📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks.
GENRE CLASSIFICATION NOTE - please be advised that IMO, this book does NOT belong in the LGBTQ genre. There is one brief mention of women having relationships but it’s not any of the main characters. There is no sapphic content whatsoever. This specific genre mislabeling is becoming increasingly common; SMH.
Three timelines ranging from 1914 - 1939 with three POV’s creates a challenging start to Brianna Labuskes new novel, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN.
Montana is the primary setting for this story about mobile libraries. Three different women are involved with the operations of a new library built into a railway car that services lumber camps and the tiny towns that line the tracks along the way. These women are bibliophiles through and through, sharing many insights about books that are now considered classics. I thoroughly enjoyed the tidbits of information and added a few books to my TBR because of them. For those readers who are fans of “The Bard”, you will be especially enamored. Labuskes is deft with descriptive prose. I spent many hours feeling extra chilly while reading about the winter months in Montana - bbbrrrr!
As stated in the beginning, it took a long time, more than 50 pages, before the multiple storylines began to settle into a comfortable reading experience. Part of the problem is not enough time to get to know three strong, female characters. The other issue is close timelines. Even tho’ each chapter is unique to a voice and timeline as well as being clearly marked, I found them hard to follow until the 50% mark or a bit later. The chapters were too short and more character development was needed sooner. Elongating the chapters would have permitted the author to give readers deeper insights to backstories that would have helped me understand some of the motivations of the characters. We did get the info needed but it was scattered in a few, high intensity scenes near the end. Rather than feeling like “ah ha”, it was “dang, I wish I knew that 200 pages ago!”
For those who love books, adventure, mystery and light thriller stories, THE BOXCAR LIBRARIAN will be a good read. Labuskes did an excellent job with research and bringing attention to an event in our history that isn’t well known or documented. This time period is full of huge historical events: the end of WWI, Prohibition, The Depression, Dust Bowl, WWII, racial tensions w/blacks & indigenous peoples, women’s rights, The New Deal and more. It was eye opening to see how little this area of the county was impacted by these events Taking books and other reading materials to these families was a life changing gift for many.
3.5 stars rounded up for bringing an important story about real historical events and people to contemporary readers📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC, with thanks.
March 6, 2025
I like Brianna Labuskes; she’s a good writer and storyteller and I was a fan of her Gretchen White trilogy. While this one is very different than the Gretchen White crime thriller, I do enjoy a really good historical fiction, especially one inspired by true events, and one about a traveling library appeals to the book nerd in me.
The book summary is pretty vague and basically just introduces the three MC’s and the different storylines. What the book summary doesn’t mention is the intense war between the Copper Kings (mine owners) and their workers and the extent that the Copper Kings have gone through to maintain control and power in Montana. Frankly, it’s not all that different than what many powerful corporations today lord over their own vulnerable workforces in order to maintain control and power in their global playing field.
The story flips back and forth between Colette, Alice and Millie as well as three different time frames between 1914-1939. It isn’t until later in the first half that some of the women meet and start interacting with each other. Prior to that, it was just some background history on the women. Millie is an editor for the Federal Writers Project that was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Millie was sent to MT to escape getting fired for punching an arrogant, entitled and abusive senator’s son, who was raping one of Millie’s coworkers. Alice, who started the box library, is the privileged and sheltered daughter of a wealthy bootlegger, and Colette is the daughter of a miner/union organizer, who raised his daughter on the classics. None of this is a spoiler since it’s all revealed early in the story.
There is another storyline that wasn’t mentioned and it’s the one about a mission that Colette is one, that I will not reveal since it would be a spoiler. It’s this mission that led her to Missoula and Alice and her boxcar library project and it’s also why Millie suspects that Alice knows more than what she’s saying about what’s going on in Missoula and what happened to Colette more than 10yrs ago. It’s about at this point (50%) that I begin to suspect what happened to Colette. Wow, was I ever wrong! The second half is where the story finally picked up with the different storylines colliding in a torrent of scary and intense scenes for the women.
The character development of the MC’s was well done. The pacing for the first half of the story was really slow, but then again, that was all the background on the MC’s. The storylines were interesting too; I really liked them. The writing was well done, and something completely different than I have ever read from Labuskes. This was definitely a departure from her Gretchen White crime thriller trilogy. I like her even more and will definitely be checking out her other work. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #TheBoxcarLibrarian
The book summary is pretty vague and basically just introduces the three MC’s and the different storylines. What the book summary doesn’t mention is the intense war between the Copper Kings (mine owners) and their workers and the extent that the Copper Kings have gone through to maintain control and power in Montana. Frankly, it’s not all that different than what many powerful corporations today lord over their own vulnerable workforces in order to maintain control and power in their global playing field.
The story flips back and forth between Colette, Alice and Millie as well as three different time frames between 1914-1939. It isn’t until later in the first half that some of the women meet and start interacting with each other. Prior to that, it was just some background history on the women. Millie is an editor for the Federal Writers Project that was part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Millie was sent to MT to escape getting fired for punching an arrogant, entitled and abusive senator’s son, who was raping one of Millie’s coworkers. Alice, who started the box library, is the privileged and sheltered daughter of a wealthy bootlegger, and Colette is the daughter of a miner/union organizer, who raised his daughter on the classics. None of this is a spoiler since it’s all revealed early in the story.
There is another storyline that wasn’t mentioned and it’s the one about a mission that Colette is one, that I will not reveal since it would be a spoiler. It’s this mission that led her to Missoula and Alice and her boxcar library project and it’s also why Millie suspects that Alice knows more than what she’s saying about what’s going on in Missoula and what happened to Colette more than 10yrs ago. It’s about at this point (50%) that I begin to suspect what happened to Colette. Wow, was I ever wrong! The second half is where the story finally picked up with the different storylines colliding in a torrent of scary and intense scenes for the women.
The character development of the MC’s was well done. The pacing for the first half of the story was really slow, but then again, that was all the background on the MC’s. The storylines were interesting too; I really liked them. The writing was well done, and something completely different than I have ever read from Labuskes. This was definitely a departure from her Gretchen White crime thriller trilogy. I like her even more and will definitely be checking out her other work. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review. I want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #TheBoxcarLibrarian
April 13, 2025
It took forever for the story to develop; I couldn’t figure out what the “mystery” was until the book was almost over. I first was attracted to the book because of its historical relevance, but the story was weak on that point. The back and forth between characters and time periods was confusing, often in mid chapter I had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to see what year we were in! I think the author tried to cover too many topics: writers project, workers union vs mine owners, and PTSD, and despite the length of the novel, didn’t do any of the issues justice. However, I did enjoyed learning about the New Deal Writers project.
Several reviewers mentioned this novel is classified as LGBTQ, which IMO is a misclassification; there was really only one phrase buried in the story that mentioned bi-sexuality. In fact my library classified the book as “inspirational” … it wasn’t that either. At least not to me!
Overall, a snoozer until the last 50 pages or so….sadly, a missed opportunity to really delve into the writers program.
Several reviewers mentioned this novel is classified as LGBTQ, which IMO is a misclassification; there was really only one phrase buried in the story that mentioned bi-sexuality. In fact my library classified the book as “inspirational” … it wasn’t that either. At least not to me!
Overall, a snoozer until the last 50 pages or so….sadly, a missed opportunity to really delve into the writers program.
March 7, 2025
My new fav from Brianna Labuskes, this historical fiction story follows three women whose lives intersect over the course of the 1920s and 30s in Montana.
I really enjoy reading about periods and places in history that I know little about and this book was so well researched and the author did such a great job tying the threads together.
As a librarian, I especially loved learning about the boxcar libraries that served remote mining/logging communities and the brave women that travelled the rails to bring books to communities that wouldn't otherwise have access.
There's also a great murder mystery element, some romance, revenge, betrayal and always at the core, strong women taking chances and fighting for good causes.
Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like The giver of stars by Jojo Moyes or The four winds by Kristin Hannah. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
I really enjoy reading about periods and places in history that I know little about and this book was so well researched and the author did such a great job tying the threads together.
As a librarian, I especially loved learning about the boxcar libraries that served remote mining/logging communities and the brave women that travelled the rails to bring books to communities that wouldn't otherwise have access.
There's also a great murder mystery element, some romance, revenge, betrayal and always at the core, strong women taking chances and fighting for good causes.
Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like The giver of stars by Jojo Moyes or The four winds by Kristin Hannah. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
March 8, 2025
I mostly focus now on Queer stories written by Queer authors but now and again, I’ll read a book just because it looks good and the main characters are women. The Boxcar Librarian caught my attention because it is based on the real women who went to the mining and lumberjack camps out west during the Great Depression, armed with train cars full of books, enticing the hardcore laborers to become repeat patrons of a traveling library. Another aspect of the book that hooked me was how the country created jobs for the artists and writers who were out of work during those financially desperate times, part of President Roosevelt’s WPA.
The book splits between three main characters and three timelines, Colette, the daughter of a union leader, Alice, the daughter of a wealthy town mayor, and Millie, an editor for the American Guide Series which put local writers to work documenting the wonders in their state.
Gradually, the three individuals’ stories unfold and converge into one big messy, emotional tale. There is also violence and a mystery. I liked all three women, their strengths and vulnerabilities are up front during times when a woman is supposed to be a backdrop, not the main voice. The book is also about worker rights, merciless companies, and finally, the beauty of our nation. I also liked the author’s main theme of the power of story and books, how they can revolutionize an individual, a community, and a country.
This is no romance and if you blink, you miss the fact that Colette slept with men and women. I only mention it because I would have liked more of her character. A lot of story left untold there. The two other women are straight.
What I didn’t like about the book is how slowly it starts out. Unraveling three individuals’ stories took a minute to build momentum. But otherwise, a very enjoyable book, especially for fans of strong women in historical fiction. Although, I was given an e-arc through Netgalley and the publisher, I ended up buying the audiobook because I just knew a good narrator would fit the telling. Amy Melissa Bentley proved me right.
4.5 stars.
The book splits between three main characters and three timelines, Colette, the daughter of a union leader, Alice, the daughter of a wealthy town mayor, and Millie, an editor for the American Guide Series which put local writers to work documenting the wonders in their state.
Gradually, the three individuals’ stories unfold and converge into one big messy, emotional tale. There is also violence and a mystery. I liked all three women, their strengths and vulnerabilities are up front during times when a woman is supposed to be a backdrop, not the main voice. The book is also about worker rights, merciless companies, and finally, the beauty of our nation. I also liked the author’s main theme of the power of story and books, how they can revolutionize an individual, a community, and a country.
This is no romance and if you blink, you miss the fact that Colette slept with men and women. I only mention it because I would have liked more of her character. A lot of story left untold there. The two other women are straight.
What I didn’t like about the book is how slowly it starts out. Unraveling three individuals’ stories took a minute to build momentum. But otherwise, a very enjoyable book, especially for fans of strong women in historical fiction. Although, I was given an e-arc through Netgalley and the publisher, I ended up buying the audiobook because I just knew a good narrator would fit the telling. Amy Melissa Bentley proved me right.
4.5 stars.
May 4, 2025
A book about libraries, librarians, or bookstores is always a big draw for me, so I was looking forward to this, even more so because it is historical fiction, one of my favorite fiction sub genres.
But this book was a big disappointment. The author had at least three different stories she wanted to tell. One was about the WPA writer's project during the Depression. The second was about the boxcar library that served Montana's mining and lumber camps. And the third was about the attempts to unionize workers in the mines where the companies overlooked the dangerous conditions.
Any of these three would have made an interesting subject for it's own book and I enjoyed each individual story until the author managed to tie them together.
The book is too long, The pace is destroyed by having three separate stories evolving in different decades. The author makes the mistake of having her characters from the early 20th century use modern day expressions. And lastly, the last decades of two of the characters are summarized in the last two chapters. That is just a no-no from creative writing 101.
I finished the book but I do not recommend it.
But this book was a big disappointment. The author had at least three different stories she wanted to tell. One was about the WPA writer's project during the Depression. The second was about the boxcar library that served Montana's mining and lumber camps. And the third was about the attempts to unionize workers in the mines where the companies overlooked the dangerous conditions.
Any of these three would have made an interesting subject for it's own book and I enjoyed each individual story until the author managed to tie them together.
The book is too long, The pace is destroyed by having three separate stories evolving in different decades. The author makes the mistake of having her characters from the early 20th century use modern day expressions. And lastly, the last decades of two of the characters are summarized in the last two chapters. That is just a no-no from creative writing 101.
I finished the book but I do not recommend it.
April 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Definitely an interesting read but unfortunately it didn’t capture my interest like I was hoping it would.
Definitely an interesting read but unfortunately it didn’t capture my interest like I was hoping it would.
March 17, 2025
(rounded up from 4.5)
First and foremost, I should clarify that while I went into this expecting a story about at least one queer person, this is definitely not that, despite the GoodReads tags. We only have a passing mention of one of the main characters having same sex relations, also in passing, and that's the extent of it.
Now that that's cleared up, this was a lovely book anyway. We start off following the stories of three women at times that are off by a few years to a decade and working through how they come together and resolve the fundamental incident of the book: what happened to the Boxcar librarian, Colette Durand, who went out with Alice Monroe, the benefactor of the library, on its inaugural trip to the mining towns, but never returned and what does that have to do with someone destroying the manuscripts of a government-funded travel writing initiative in Montana?
I enjoyed all three of the main characters. Alice Monroe is a shut-in due to her trauma but has always loved books and getting them to the people who need them most. Colette Durand is tight-lipped about her past but is angry, driven, and loves to connect people with books that will help them. Millie is a scrapper and facing unemployment if she can't discover what happened to the writings of this small government-funded writers group in Montana before the deadline. They come together in interesting ways, and each is distinct enough to have a strong voice as you go back and forth in time and between these women.
The core mystery is a bit convoluted but comes through in the end, and the journey is the more interesting part. This is a book for people who love books, above all else, and a look at a key time in American history.
First and foremost, I should clarify that while I went into this expecting a story about at least one queer person, this is definitely not that, despite the GoodReads tags. We only have a passing mention of one of the main characters having same sex relations, also in passing, and that's the extent of it.
Now that that's cleared up, this was a lovely book anyway. We start off following the stories of three women at times that are off by a few years to a decade and working through how they come together and resolve the fundamental incident of the book: what happened to the Boxcar librarian, Colette Durand, who went out with Alice Monroe, the benefactor of the library, on its inaugural trip to the mining towns, but never returned and what does that have to do with someone destroying the manuscripts of a government-funded travel writing initiative in Montana?
I enjoyed all three of the main characters. Alice Monroe is a shut-in due to her trauma but has always loved books and getting them to the people who need them most. Colette Durand is tight-lipped about her past but is angry, driven, and loves to connect people with books that will help them. Millie is a scrapper and facing unemployment if she can't discover what happened to the writings of this small government-funded writers group in Montana before the deadline. They come together in interesting ways, and each is distinct enough to have a strong voice as you go back and forth in time and between these women.
The core mystery is a bit convoluted but comes through in the end, and the journey is the more interesting part. This is a book for people who love books, above all else, and a look at a key time in American history.
February 10, 2025
Original review at Gabic Reads. eARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I cannot begin to explain to you how much this book changed my brain chemistry. A story told in three converging POVs, Alice, Millie, and Collette's stories tell of fighting for what is right, revenge, and love all centered around the power of books and storytelling. We meet Millie first in 1936 where she works as an editor on The American Guide project. She gets sent to Montana to figure out who is sabotaging the manuscripts. Alice's story starts in 1924 where we learn who is librarian who brings books to one of the closer mining camps but dreams of being able to reach more people. Collette has learned a lot from her father in 1914, including her passion for workers' rights and storytelling.
I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. I definitely didn't see a couple of the plot twists coming. I always think it's a testament to the author when they can make you cry at the beautiful moments too, not just the heartbreaking ones, and Labuskes has done that for me in this novel.
I think readers of all kinds will enjoy this book. Definitely a must read 2025 release! I've already been telling my friends and family they have to read this when it releases! I will definitely be scrambling to get my hands on more of Labuskes novels.
I cannot begin to explain to you how much this book changed my brain chemistry. A story told in three converging POVs, Alice, Millie, and Collette's stories tell of fighting for what is right, revenge, and love all centered around the power of books and storytelling. We meet Millie first in 1936 where she works as an editor on The American Guide project. She gets sent to Montana to figure out who is sabotaging the manuscripts. Alice's story starts in 1924 where we learn who is librarian who brings books to one of the closer mining camps but dreams of being able to reach more people. Collette has learned a lot from her father in 1914, including her passion for workers' rights and storytelling.
I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. I definitely didn't see a couple of the plot twists coming. I always think it's a testament to the author when they can make you cry at the beautiful moments too, not just the heartbreaking ones, and Labuskes has done that for me in this novel.
I think readers of all kinds will enjoy this book. Definitely a must read 2025 release! I've already been telling my friends and family they have to read this when it releases! I will definitely be scrambling to get my hands on more of Labuskes novels.
January 23, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm not much of a historical fiction reader, but I enjoyed "The Boxcar Librarian" and its depiction of Depression-era Montana. As someone who had the opportunity to visit the state back in 2022 (and even stayed in Missoula), it was neat to compare the book's descriptions to my experience visiting the state. I felt like this novel was a love letter to the state and to the art of reading. Additionally, managing three POVs is always a challenge, especially when jumping around in time, but I felt everyone's POVs complemented each other well. My biggest gripes with the novel (and the reason I docked a star) were that I found the pace to be incredibly slow in the beginning. It took me some time to warm up to this novel, and I only found myself really invested around 70% through the book. I also felt at times that this novel didn't really know what it wanted to be. It's a combination murder mystery, revenge tale, romance, post-WWI introspection, love letter to Montana, love letter to libraries and fiction, commentary on labor, and a tale of journalism as well. I don't think books need to only explore one theme, but there was a lot happening here, and it sometimes didn't flow as well as it could. Overall, "The Boxcar Librarian" is not a novel I'd commonly pick up, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
September 10, 2025
I enjoyed this far more than I expected to.
Historical fiction is not something I gravitate to often.
The characters are lively and interesting and secretive which is a wonderful combination.
And the two timelines that eventually meet up was a fabulous surprise; I love a dual timeline.
Highly recommend this to EVERYONE!
Giant thank you to Book Club Girl for my copy.
Historical fiction is not something I gravitate to often.
The characters are lively and interesting and secretive which is a wonderful combination.
And the two timelines that eventually meet up was a fabulous surprise; I love a dual timeline.
Highly recommend this to EVERYONE!
Giant thank you to Book Club Girl for my copy.
March 13, 2025
I loved the blurb and construction of a split timeline style- this just felt far, far too long.
June 10, 2025
Depression-era tale, inspired by true events of Missoula’s Boxcar Library.
March 30, 2025
The Boxcar Librarian is inspired by actual events from the 1920s-1930s. Three courageous women with incredible stories, exhibit strength in a man’s world by bringing books to otherwise invisible readers. Each storyline was filled with great depth and atmosphere. I learned so much about life in the west and was blown away by the traveling library! Highly recommend this book for everyone who loves books about books, resilient women, mysteries, and historical events.
August 1, 2025
The place is Montana, time is the Great Depression Era, purpose is to get the boxcar of a train repurposed into being a community library, and the how all rests in the hands of 3 primary characters: Millie, Colette and Alice. These are three separate women from different aspects of life. That's how this braid begins.
I thoroughly enjoyed the author's attention to and providing context - war worries, both sides of the union troubles, the lumber industry hanging on to its part of the pie, and earnest efforts of the FWP (Federal Writer's Project). But (just a little but) the read goes a little longer than it needs to, and the wee bit of physicality is described by a hand that feels more practiced than the 'wholesome' tone of the rest of the book (where that happened it felt distracting and out of place). I missed any mention of indigenous peoples (it's Montana. . .surely they were there?). In retrospect, it just felt very white. That said, a reader doesn't suffer overmuch from those niggles.
But as an avid Reader and Listy my favorite part of this read was the free-sharing of the inventory gathered for the Boxcar Library, which I collected obsessively and provide here for your reading pleasure:
The Secret Garden
FWP’s (Federal Writer’s Project) Introducing America to Americans
Walden
The Secret Adversary
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Treasure Island
The Call of the Wild
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Tempest
The Twelfth Night
The Jungle
Henry IV, Part One
Dracula
Ten Days in a Mad-House
Around the World in Seventy-Two Days
War and Peace
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Pride and Prejudice
Little Women
Tarzan of the Apes
The Thirty-Nine Steps
As You Like It
Hamlet
Inspector French’s Greatest Case
Wanderer of the Wasteland
An Ideal Husband
Scaramouche
Emma
Pygmalion
O Pioneers!
Maid of the Forest
A Doll’s House
Main Street
Oliver Twist
Les Miserables
Bible
The Confessions of a Young Man
The Odyssey
Anne of Green Gables
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Red Badge of Courage
The Return of the Soldier
The Three Musketeers
The Invisible Man
Much Ado
Taming of the Shrew
The Complete Works of Shakespeare
Bright Island
All around a robust read. . .jump on the train and ride and read, and ride and read (repeat for rhythmic effect).
*A sincere thank you to Brianna Labuskes, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheBoxcarLibrarian #NetGalley 25|52:39d
I thoroughly enjoyed the author's attention to and providing context - war worries, both sides of the union troubles, the lumber industry hanging on to its part of the pie, and earnest efforts of the FWP (Federal Writer's Project). But (just a little but) the read goes a little longer than it needs to, and the wee bit of physicality is described by a hand that feels more practiced than the 'wholesome' tone of the rest of the book (where that happened it felt distracting and out of place). I missed any mention of indigenous peoples (it's Montana. . .surely they were there?). In retrospect, it just felt very white. That said, a reader doesn't suffer overmuch from those niggles.
But as an avid Reader and Listy my favorite part of this read was the free-sharing of the inventory gathered for the Boxcar Library, which I collected obsessively and provide here for your reading pleasure:
The Secret Garden
FWP’s (Federal Writer’s Project) Introducing America to Americans
Walden
The Secret Adversary
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Treasure Island
The Call of the Wild
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Tempest
The Twelfth Night
The Jungle
Henry IV, Part One
Dracula
Ten Days in a Mad-House
Around the World in Seventy-Two Days
War and Peace
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Pride and Prejudice
Little Women
Tarzan of the Apes
The Thirty-Nine Steps
As You Like It
Hamlet
Inspector French’s Greatest Case
Wanderer of the Wasteland
An Ideal Husband
Scaramouche
Emma
Pygmalion
O Pioneers!
Maid of the Forest
A Doll’s House
Main Street
Oliver Twist
Les Miserables
Bible
The Confessions of a Young Man
The Odyssey
Anne of Green Gables
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Red Badge of Courage
The Return of the Soldier
The Three Musketeers
The Invisible Man
Much Ado
Taming of the Shrew
The Complete Works of Shakespeare
Bright Island
All around a robust read. . .jump on the train and ride and read, and ride and read (repeat for rhythmic effect).
*A sincere thank you to Brianna Labuskes, William Morrow, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheBoxcarLibrarian #NetGalley 25|52:39d
May 27, 2025
Absolutely LOVED this piece of historical fiction! The story reminds me of the pack horse librarians.
I loved the way the author weaved together the lives of Millie, Collette, and Alice.
Heartbreak, pioneer living, revenge, murder, love, death, and BOOKS!
For young readers: there is a little bit of foul language, but it's minimal. There was one spicy scene, but it was easy to skip past. There is some violence, but it's not overdone.
I loved the way the author weaved together the lives of Millie, Collette, and Alice.
Heartbreak, pioneer living, revenge, murder, love, death, and BOOKS!
For young readers: there is a little bit of foul language, but it's minimal. There was one spicy scene, but it was easy to skip past. There is some violence, but it's not overdone.
July 8, 2025
One of the BEST books I've read in a long time. I would give it another star if I could!It has everything that I like in a historical novel. This book surprised me. It had sooo much more than I was expecting!Interesting premise, good research by the author,interesting characters, bit of adventure, mystery (based on historical fact) and wee bit of romance. Kudos to Brianna Labuskes! I look forward to reading more of her novels!
November 5, 2024
I’m not sure why this is labeled under LGBTQ unless you count the one time mention of one of the women having sex with men and women over the years.
It started off slow but then got interesting. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I wasn’t waiting for the sapphic part of the book that never came.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
It started off slow but then got interesting. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if I wasn’t waiting for the sapphic part of the book that never came.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
November 28, 2025
Was this a literary masterpiece? No. Was it the most fun I’ve had in months reading a book? Absolutely.
January 16, 2026
I enjoyed each character and their story very much and loved how everything connected. I also loved that it ended complete. Every question you may have had was answered, and I always prefer that over wondering. The description of Montana was absolutely stunning. I loved the topics of unions, coal mines, and WPA of the time. I look forward to reading more from Brianna! This was like a 4.5 for me! The 3 storylines were a little hard to follow on audio - not the story - the timeframe.
January 13, 2026
What a fascinating read! Learned about Montana and the Boxcar Library AND had vengeance and murder as well. Loved this book!
March 13, 2025
Took me a while to warm up to the story, I thought in the beginning it went a bit slow, but I guess the author had to set the premises that would make you understand everything at the end.
After a while, I started turning and turning the pages. I wanted the mystery to be solved and the twists didn't disappoint!
I loved The Libriarian of Burned Books and I also loved The Boxcar Librarian, Labuskes has a way of creating strong female characters that would appeal to anyone, indipendently from their orientation. It didn't matter to me at all that this wasn't a sapphic novel, the story and the plot are great, and the love of books and reasons why people read them is spot-on.
Colette was my favorite character.
Ps. This would make a great movie with three strong leads.
After a while, I started turning and turning the pages. I wanted the mystery to be solved and the twists didn't disappoint!
I loved The Libriarian of Burned Books and I also loved The Boxcar Librarian, Labuskes has a way of creating strong female characters that would appeal to anyone, indipendently from their orientation. It didn't matter to me at all that this wasn't a sapphic novel, the story and the plot are great, and the love of books and reasons why people read them is spot-on.
Colette was my favorite character.
Ps. This would make a great movie with three strong leads.
April 23, 2025
This story is a love letter to books and the way they connect us, heal us, and sometimes even save us. It’s beautifully written with three strong female characters whose stories weave together in a powerful way. It was full of heart and impossible to put down. This is the first book I've read by Brianna Labuskes. She completely nailed the quiet power of stories—and I felt every bit of it. I'll be reading more from her for sure!
May 23, 2025
I just couldn’t get into this book.
March 30, 2025
“If the soul is left in darkness, sins will be committed. The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness.”
/ Les Misérables
Абсолютно ново усещане за мен с The Boxcar Librarian! Или добре забравено старо. От юношеските ми години.
Много отдавна не бях попадала на книга, която започва като увлекателна история от Джоджо Мойс и продължава като шеметен уестърн на Зен Грей. Brianna Labuskes е съчетала толкова много теми, ситуации и елементи, че се е получило истинско книжно преживяване ! Заглавия на книги, цитати, пасажи... ; пътя на създаването на пътуваща във вагон библиотека, страстта към четенето и силата на някоя книга да преобърне живот, да даде посока. Загубата на семейството и жаждата за отмъщение. Дивият Запад с неговитe закони за оцеляване сред алчност, експлоатация на работниците и престъпните практики в тъмните кътчета на власт и капитал.
The Boxcar Librarian събира забележителна колекция от герои. И всеки си има слабите места и неподозираните качества. Една постъпка, едно импулсивно решение или едно дълго премислено действие могат да променят живота завинаги. Да преобърнат отношения и да разкрият истинското лице на хора, с които сме били близки. И в центъра на това са няколко жени - слаби, деликатни, ярки и наранени. Но силни духом и искащи хората в техните общности да живеят достойно от труда си. В продължение на десет години тези героини преминават през събития, в центъра на които е една пътуваща библиотека, създадена във вагон на товарен влак. Обикаляйки лагерите на дърводобивници и миньори, те предоставят книги на мъже и жени, жието ежедневие е свързано с оцеляването. Книгите са единственият начин да излязат от собствената си действителност и да заживеят в друг свят, където могат да бъдат различни.
За мен няма по - добър начин да оформя в главата си историята, която току - що съм завършила и която ще ме държи известно време, от авторските бележки в края на книгата. Този път Brianna Labuskes споделя истинските места и хора, вдъхновили характерите и историите в The Boxcar Librarian. В Монтана се намира Форт Мисула.
" По волята на съдбата, това е мястото, където сега живее истинският вагон-библиотека на дървосекачите." " За щастие, все още съществуват снимки и чертежи на оригиналния дизайн на вагона."
" Алис Монро - както и всички главни герои в The Boxcar Librarian - е измислена. Но тя е вдъхновена от библиотекарката на окръг Мисула Рут Уордън, една от двете жени, които дават идеята за библиотеката на дървосекачите. "
Невероятна сила на внушенията! Честност в разказа, без прикриване на политическите и финансови демагогии. Силна емоционална нотка , която ще докосне всеки, обичащ книгите и тяхното споделяне.
Невероятна наслада от първата глава до последната страница!
* " But that was the kind of helplessness the bosses wanted them to feel. They wanted the masses to simply accept that evil was inevitable instead of something that could be stopped if the rest of them all joined together to do so. "
* " The dark parts of a country’s history were just as important—if not more so—than the good parts. How else could they move in a better direction if they didn’t know how bad it had gone before? “
* " If she had learned nothing from Hamlet—if she’d learned nothing from the past three years on the road chasing vengeance—it was that a quest for revenge destroyed everyone including the person seeking it. "
/ Les Misérables
Абсолютно ново усещане за мен с The Boxcar Librarian! Или добре забравено старо. От юношеските ми години.
Много отдавна не бях попадала на книга, която започва като увлекателна история от Джоджо Мойс и продължава като шеметен уестърн на Зен Грей. Brianna Labuskes е съчетала толкова много теми, ситуации и елементи, че се е получило истинско книжно преживяване ! Заглавия на книги, цитати, пасажи... ; пътя на създаването на пътуваща във вагон библиотека, страстта към четенето и силата на някоя книга да преобърне живот, да даде посока. Загубата на семейството и жаждата за отмъщение. Дивият Запад с неговитe закони за оцеляване сред алчност, експлоатация на работниците и престъпните практики в тъмните кътчета на власт и капитал.
The Boxcar Librarian събира забележителна колекция от герои. И всеки си има слабите места и неподозираните качества. Една постъпка, едно импулсивно решение или едно дълго премислено действие могат да променят живота завинаги. Да преобърнат отношения и да разкрият истинското лице на хора, с които сме били близки. И в центъра на това са няколко жени - слаби, деликатни, ярки и наранени. Но силни духом и искащи хората в техните общности да живеят достойно от труда си. В продължение на десет години тези героини преминават през събития, в центъра на които е една пътуваща библиотека, създадена във вагон на товарен влак. Обикаляйки лагерите на дърводобивници и миньори, те предоставят книги на мъже и жени, жието ежедневие е свързано с оцеляването. Книгите са единственият начин да излязат от собствената си действителност и да заживеят в друг свят, където могат да бъдат различни.
За мен няма по - добър начин да оформя в главата си историята, която току - що съм завършила и която ще ме държи известно време, от авторските бележки в края на книгата. Този път Brianna Labuskes споделя истинските места и хора, вдъхновили характерите и историите в The Boxcar Librarian. В Монтана се намира Форт Мисула.
" По волята на съдбата, това е мястото, където сега живее истинският вагон-библиотека на дървосекачите." " За щастие, все още съществуват снимки и чертежи на оригиналния дизайн на вагона."
" Алис Монро - както и всички главни герои в The Boxcar Librarian - е измислена. Но тя е вдъхновена от библиотекарката на окръг Мисула Рут Уордън, една от двете жени, които дават идеята за библиотеката на дървосекачите. "
Невероятна сила на внушенията! Честност в разказа, без прикриване на политическите и финансови демагогии. Силна емоционална нотка , която ще докосне всеки, обичащ книгите и тяхното споделяне.
Невероятна наслада от първата глава до последната страница!
* " But that was the kind of helplessness the bosses wanted them to feel. They wanted the masses to simply accept that evil was inevitable instead of something that could be stopped if the rest of them all joined together to do so. "
* " The dark parts of a country’s history were just as important—if not more so—than the good parts. How else could they move in a better direction if they didn’t know how bad it had gone before? “
* " If she had learned nothing from Hamlet—if she’d learned nothing from the past three years on the road chasing vengeance—it was that a quest for revenge destroyed everyone including the person seeking it. "
July 9, 2025
Listen.
LISTEN.
Women. And America.
*eagle screeches*
LISTEN.
Women. And America.
*eagle screeches*
October 15, 2025
Well-written story that surrounds Montana mining industry with its corruption and fight for miner's rights and a politically-based crime, and touches on topics of early jourinalism, post WW1 trauma and mobile library for remote mining towns.
April 10, 2025
The idea for The Boxcar Librarian is fantastic, but the execution lacked throughout. Labuskes tries to create a historical mystery that is not well developed when she could have focused on the history of the boxcar library and truly written a worthy historical fiction novel.
Told through the voices of Colette, Alice, and Millie, The Boxcar Librarian shares 20th-century Montana history of union disputes, copper mining, The Great Depression, and the need for information access. It looks at the development of information access in rural areas, and also the impact of big business on limiting access to their employees. It shares the harsh realities of seasons in Montana and the poverty of the Great Depression. It solves an unnecessary mystery. Each of these concepts works individually, but not together. I wanted another story like The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, which also wasn't perfect, but shared the stories of the people much better than this novel. In the end, it's not a bad novel, it's just not the best. Colette's story was forced into Alice's and Millie's stories, and none of them worked well together.
Told through the voices of Colette, Alice, and Millie, The Boxcar Librarian shares 20th-century Montana history of union disputes, copper mining, The Great Depression, and the need for information access. It looks at the development of information access in rural areas, and also the impact of big business on limiting access to their employees. It shares the harsh realities of seasons in Montana and the poverty of the Great Depression. It solves an unnecessary mystery. Each of these concepts works individually, but not together. I wanted another story like The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek, which also wasn't perfect, but shared the stories of the people much better than this novel. In the end, it's not a bad novel, it's just not the best. Colette's story was forced into Alice's and Millie's stories, and none of them worked well together.
March 12, 2025
A solidly plotted and enjoyable Historical Fiction novel that showcases really excellent setting and sense of place.
This is a dual timeline history that suffered a bit from the fact that the timelines are too close together, but it’s a very good story that incorporates a lot of separate elements of American history and blends them well into a single story.
I loved how well-rendered the setting and cultural atmosphere of both Montana and the United States in general was, as well as how the characters have been developed to best express that.
I think the author also really understands how to write true historical fiction, the kind that isn’t bogged down by either tragedy porn or excessive focus on romantic subplots. The characters and the location are the stars here, as well as the power of books and reading.
If I had a gripe about this book it’s that Millie doesn’t really need to be there, and is mostly just a tool to continue the earlier timeline. Perhaps a single timeline approach that incorporates tue WPA project midway would have been a better way to go.
Still, this is well paced, sweet without being saccharine, and visually evocative in the way that the best Historical Fiction needs to be.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is a dual timeline history that suffered a bit from the fact that the timelines are too close together, but it’s a very good story that incorporates a lot of separate elements of American history and blends them well into a single story.
I loved how well-rendered the setting and cultural atmosphere of both Montana and the United States in general was, as well as how the characters have been developed to best express that.
I think the author also really understands how to write true historical fiction, the kind that isn’t bogged down by either tragedy porn or excessive focus on romantic subplots. The characters and the location are the stars here, as well as the power of books and reading.
If I had a gripe about this book it’s that Millie doesn’t really need to be there, and is mostly just a tool to continue the earlier timeline. Perhaps a single timeline approach that incorporates tue WPA project midway would have been a better way to go.
Still, this is well paced, sweet without being saccharine, and visually evocative in the way that the best Historical Fiction needs to be.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
December 17, 2024
I received a copy of the book "The Boxcar Librarian" by Brianna Labuskes. This book is seen through the eyes of three female characters. Colette, whose story starts in 1914, Alice in 1924, and Millie around 1936. eventually the three characters come together in the story. Each woman loves to read so they end up working for the Boxcar library that is on a train and travels the rails to mining towns to loan out books. Actually when i had an interest in reading this book, I thought it was about travelling the rails from town to town. But really there is much more to the plot. There is at least one murder that leads Colette to track down the person who killed her father. this ties in with Alice and eventually Millie. There is a lot going on in the story. a bit hard going back and forth to the different years. but works out in the end. a pretty good story. Even though I had hoped there had been more about the boxcar library.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 902 reviews