The Morrill Memorial Library is excited to partner with Ashland Public Library and other Massachusetts public libraries to host a discussion with Lucy Gilmore, author of The Library of Borrowed Hearts on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:00pm on Zoom.

We all know the transformative power of books and how they can help us connect with those around us. Please join us to welcome author Lucy Gilmore as she discusses her book The Library of Borrowed Hearts, the follow-up to her wonderful first novel, The Lonely Hearts Book Club. We'll chat about  uplifting, heartwarming novels about friendship and books, and how important it is to find the family you were always meant to have.

About the book: AJ Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together. Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling: to take care of her three younger siblings, to find herself, to make ends meet. She's just about at the end of her rope when she stumbles across a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at the local flea market. Deciding it's a sign of her luck turning, she takes it home with her--only to be shocked when her cranky hermit of a neighbor swoops in and offers to buy it for an exorbitant price. Intrigued, Chloe takes a closer look at the book only to find notes scribbled in the margins between two young lovers back when the book was new... one of whom is almost definitely Jasper Holmes, the curmudgeon next door. When she begins following the clues left behind, she discovers this isn't the only old book in town filled with their romantic marginalia. This kickstarts a literary scavenger hunt that Chloe is determined to see through to the end. What happened to the two tragic lovers who corresponded in the margins of so many different library books? And what does it have to do with the old, sad man next door, who only now has begun to open his home to Chloe and her siblings? In a romantic tale that spans the decades, Chloe discovers that there's much more to her neighbor than meets the eye. In allowing herself to accept the unexpected friendship he offers, she learns that some love stories begin in the unlikeliest of places.

About the author: Lucy Gilmore, who also writes under the pen name Tamara Berry, began her writing career in 2012 as a romance author. Since that time, she has expanded to include cozy mysteries (as Tamara Berry) and uplifting women's fiction (as Lucy Gilmore). No matter what you're looking for, her books are funny, lighthearted, and always come with a guaranteed Happily Ever After. Gilmore graduated from Eastern Washington University with an English degree, where she learned about Very Important Literature and also that she vastly prefers to read about love and murder. Gilmore lives in Washington state with her family and many pets.

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom webinar via email from Ashland Public Library, the hosting institution. This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Note: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.