Author: Susan Orlean
Title: The Library Book
Narrator: Susan Orlean
Publication Info: Simon & Schuster Audio (2018)
Summary/Review:
Susan Orlean’s excellent work of narrative nonfiction focuses on the Los Angeles Central Library, particularly on the April 29, 1986 fire that severely damaged the building. Orlean examines the history and aftermath of the fire and reconstruction through interviews of past and current library employees and an examination of the library’s history to its origins over a century ago. The book also tells the story of Harry Peak, a young aspiring actor and attention seeker who became a leading arson suspect. The cause of the fire remains unsolved to this day.
I actually visited the Los Angeles Central Library on my visit to Southern California in 2007, and I’ve included a couple of photos below.
Recommended books:
- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
- The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs
Rating: ***1/2
Panorama of the Mountains 