Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change, brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.

Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on a mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.

What Lula doesn’t know is that a local troublemaker has stolen her wholesome books, removed their dust jackets, and restocked Lula’s library with banned books: literary classics, gay romances, Black history, witchy spell books, Judy Blume novels, and more. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. That’s when the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town and change it forever.

“Bewitching and satisfying.”

The Independent

Review by 1000 Libraries

Kirsten Miller’s Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a clever and timely novel that tackles the critical issue of book banning with wit and heart. The story centers on Lula Dean, a “concerned mother” who becomes a local celebrity for her campaign to remove what she deems “inappropriate” books from the public school library.

To provide what she considers wholesome reading for her community, she establishes her own “Little Library” in her front yard. Unknown to her, however, a rebel swaps them out with the very ones that Lula bans. This subversion turns Lula’s little library into a secret haven for the books she tried to get rid of, making her an unwitting champion of intellectual freedom.

“There is no need to make magic. There is magic all around us. We need only to recognize it and make use of what is already there.”

Miller’s narrative is a smart and poignant satire of the current climate of censorship. It critiques the hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness that often drive book-banning movements while also celebrating the power of literature to inspire, connect, and empower. Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a must-read for anyone concerned about the state of censorship and the future of free expression. It is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most effective resistance is the quietest. This book is not just a timely commentary; it’s a feel-good story that proves one person can make a difference, often in the most unexpected ways.

“Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is shaping up to be this summer’s Big Read. Kirsten Miller has that rare ability to take a serious subject and make it very, very funny. I enjoyed this novel and you will too.”

“Is it possible for a book to be important, funny, relevant, and wildly entertaining all at once? Kirsten Miller proves the answer is a resounding YES. Please read this one and pass it along!”

“Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books is a fantastic work of contemporary fiction, one that lays bare many of the social problems prevalent in the South, but also one that holds space for hope, change and a happy ending — if we want one.”

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