The banned books club

Brenda Novak

Large print - 2024

Despite their strained relationship, when Gia Rossi’s sister, Margot, begs her to come home to Wakefield, Iowa, to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After her rebellious and at-times-tumultuous teen years, Gia left town with little reason to look back. But she knows Margot’s borne the brunt of their mother’s care and now it’s Gia’s turn to help, even if it means opening old wounds. As expected, Gia’s homecoming is far from welcome. There’s the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list, which is right where she left it. But there is also Mr. Hart, her former favorite teacher. The one who was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexua...l misconduct. The one who prompted Gia to leave behind a very conflicted town the minute she turned eighteen. The one person she hoped never to see again. When Margot leaves town without explanation, Gia sees the cracks in her sister’s zperfecty life for the first time and plans to offer support. But as the town, including members of the book club, takes sides between Gia and Mr. Hart, everything gets harder. Fortunately, she learns that there are people she can depend on. And by standing up for the truth, she finds love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.

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Review by Booklist Review

Novak's latest (after Tourist Season, 2024) will be an instant hit for her fans. Gia Rossi returns home to small-town Iowa after her sister, Margot, begs her to assist with their ailing mother. Unbeknownst to Gia, Margot had another reason for asking her sister to come home: Margot was planning on running away from her controlling husband. Unfortunately, Gia's homecoming isn't a welcome one thanks to an incident from her past. Former teacher Mr. Hart was fired after Gia accused him of sexual misconduct, and he was the reason Gia fled when she turned 18. The town remains divided over whom to believe, though the banned-books club Gia started in high school is still active. Mr. Hart's son Cormac is on a mission to find out the truth about what happened between Gia and his father, and much to his surprise, he finds himself falling for Gia. This novel tackles tough topics with warmth, and readers will be charmed.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.