The Borrower

The premise is promising, if a little far-fetched in an Amber-alert world: A librarian finds a young patron camped out in the library and agrees to facilitate his multi-state road trip. Lucy Hull, now 36, tells how, 10 years earlier, she hit the road with 10-year-old Ian Drake, her favorite patron at the Hannibal, Missouri, library. While the story is told by an adult female, Emily Bauer's voice sounds more like that of 10-year-old Ian. The device of inserting passages from various children's classics is clever, but its execution in audio form gets tiresome as parodies of IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE and THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT go on too long. Additionally, the "Make Your Own Adventure" chapter, while clever in print, is interminable in audio. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

April 4, 2011
Makkai shows promise in her overworked debut, an occasionally funny crime farce about a hapless librarianâcumâaccidental kidnapper. Lucy Hull is a 26-year-old whose rebellion against her wealthy Russian mafia parents has taken the form of her accepting a children's librarian job in smalltown Missouri. After an unnecessarily long-winded first act, the novel picks up when Lucy discovers her favorite library regular, 10-year-old Ian Drake, hiding out in the stacks one morning after having run away from his evangelical Christian parents, who censor his book choices and are pre-emptively sending him to SSAD (Same-Sex Attraction Disorder) rehab, and Lucy soon aids and abets his escape. The tale of their subsequent jaunt across several state lines dodging cops, a persistent suitor of Lucy's, and a suspicious black-haired pursuer is fast-paced, suspenseful, and thoroughly enjoyableâthe real meat of the book. Unfortunately, the padding around the adventure too often feels like preaching to the choir (censorship is bad, libraries and independent booksellers are good) and the frequent references to children's booksâincluding a "choose-your-own adventure" interludeâquickly go from cute to irritating. There's great potential, but it's buried in unfortunate fluff.

October 1, 2011
Makkai's debut novel blends a literary adventure road trip with thought-provoking self-discovery. Young Ian, the son of fundamentalist Christians, and Lucy, a children's librarian, end up unlikely companions traveling cross-country east from Hannibal, MO. The title contains multiple literary references, from "Madeline" to "Lolita" to "Goodnight, Moon" and many more, and touches on issues such as censorship and parental relationships. The pro-gay rights message and the portrayal of Christians as gay people's enemy may offend some listeners. Actress and voice-over professional Emily Bauer clearly narrates this fascinating and entertaining tale of how books change lives and how self-reflection may ultimately lead you back home. Of interest to fans of literary fiction. ["Overall, a stylish and clever tale for bibliophiles who enjoy authors like Jasper Fforde and Connie Willis," read the review of the Viking hc, "LJ" 3/1/11; also an Editors' Spring Pick, "LJ" 2/15/11.—Ed.]—Denise A. Garofalo, Mount Saint Mary Coll. Lib., Newburgh, NY

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