Review of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

Lula Dean focuses on the incredible power of books and truth-telling as characters discover their bravest selves and confront difficult situations, changing their community.

In the small Southern town of Troy, Georgia, a lending library and a battle over banned books pits nemeses Beverly Underwood (on the school board) and Lula Dean (determined to rid public libraries of "inappropriate" books) against each other.

A caricature of Southern prim-and-proper ladyhood and over-the-top frills and flowers, Lula sets up a Little Free Library full of only "appropriate" books. But someone mischievously switches out the dust jackets of her old-fashioned, out-of-touch books with novels featuring LGBTQ+ love, literary classics, Judy Blume books, and other banned titles.

The reality of the open-minded, empowering, honest content in Lula's personal library seems destined to come to light--just as Lula and the solid, upstanding, liberal-minded Beverly determine to run against each other in a mayoral race that could decide the tone and future of their community.

But first, the titles begin inspiring people in the community to come clean about the ugliness under the surface of their town: a stifled wife reveals her husband's Nazi enthusiasms; a young boy learns that his brother's gay identity is not to be feared as he's been taught; a son realizes that his mother is not dying, only experiencing the natural process of menstruation; a young woman fights against misogynistic school policies; a past assault comes to light; and the truths about the bloodlines of the town become clear.

Strong local figures, primarily women, drive the forces of good and the uncovering of truth. Some characters experience dramatic redemptions, while others slip through the cracks or meet a tragic end. The focus on the power of books is fantastic.

File Lula under "lighter fiction that tackles difficult issues." This is my favorite kind of lighter-tone contemporary fiction.

I listened to Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books as an audiobook.

I'd love to hear your Bossy thoughts about this book!

Kirsten Miller is also the author of The Change, a novel that I said "explores the power of menopausal women and the poignant strength of friendship; supplies satisfying revenge fantasies and camp; and winds it all through our middle-aged heroines' satisfying solving of a disturbing set of mysteries."