The Librarian of Burned Books: A Novel

“Hannah knew the assault should strengthen her resolve, make her want to take up a sword. But every day that passed, she was less and less certain the world was really worth saving.”

This quote, early on in the novel, shows the extent of Hannah’s hopelessness and her potential for growth. The subtle image of “taking up a sword” foreshadows some of the later storytelling motifs, such as Althea’s fictional story of the warrior Hannah and her dragon. This moment combines storytelling imagery with the novel’s darker political context.

“They sang in German, cried and laughed and danced, and Althea cried and laughed and danced alongside them, patriotism for her ancestors’ country thrumming in her blood, heady and hot and irresistible despite the fact that the pride was so new to her.”

This moment conveys Althea’s naïveté and youth in a section of the novel that leans heavily into dramatic irony. It also illustrates the way every day, well-meaning people were easily caught up in the false propaganda of patriotism created by the country’s political leaders, subtly introducing The Dangers of Censorship and Oppression.

“[Stories] became the prism through which she viewed the world, the cruelty of it, the beauty of it. She had started using stories as a way of understanding all the reasons those other children, and then other adults, were both cruel and beautiful, as well.”

Reading is at the very heart of Althea’s identity; storytelling becomes the lens through which she sees the world. Her reliance on stories is double edged—in some instances, like this one, it becomes a way to better understand the complexity and duality of human psychology. In others, however, it leads her to expect a certain pattern of events that leads to a happy ending. Her journey is largely about learning to balance these two realities.