Summary

‘Between Life and Death there is a Library,’ she said. ‘And within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices.

My review

I cannot help but recall the famous quote by Albert Camus here “Life is the sum of all your choices.” That is the gist of this book. Another message more clearly emphasized is that, however miserable you think your life is right now, things will get better. It’s going to be all right.

Through a unique story of the in-between library, this simple message is conveyed in quite an exemplary fashion. Our protagonist Nora, contemplated suicide because in this life she thought there was no one and nothing left for her to do. But little does she realize that all the answers to life’s questions and to making the best out of it are within us. We just ignore the obvious or as the author says make the wrong choices.

If you do not go into the technical nitty-gritty of how a parallel universe is possible and how was it humanly possible to seamlessly transfer from one to another without anyone noticing, I think this would be a great read.

The simplicity of the author’s writing and his easy-going way in which he gets across the message without sounding preachy is the power of this story and the reason for its popularity, I think. I loved the way he got around to explaining the root cause of all problems in life whether you’re wildly successful or unsuccessfully lost-everything is meaningless without love, he says.

Depression, loneliness, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies have been on the rise worldwide since the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020. Readers received this book at the appropriate time. It reminds us that we need to look at the smaller things in life and just be patient and wait long enough to see a whole new perspective of life.

Final Verdict

Read this story for a unique take on life and death. It is very imaginative and creative. Although quick and an unusual read, the accounts of traveling out through parallel worlds got a little repetitive for me. At one point, I felt frustrated with Nora thinking – oh come on, make a choice already.  So that makes me take away a star from the rating and award it 4 out of 5 stars.

Who Should Read This

There are plenty of lessons to take away from this story. I recommend this book for readers looking to read an engaging story on mental health. And for readers looking for an imaginative tale that isn’t fantasy.  

I’ll end with my favorite quote from the story – “It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.” 

Happy Reading!!