The Library of the Dead (book) by T. L. Huchu
Bibliographic Information
Title: The Library of the Dead
Author: T. L. Huchu
Publisher: Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Copyright Date: 2021
ISBN: 9781250767769
Page Count: 334
Genre/Format
Science Fiction, Fantasy/ book
Reading Level/Interest Level
Adult crossover book; special interest for young adults
Awards
Best Novel at the Nommo Awards, presented by the African Speculative Fiction Society.
Summary
Ropa, a 14-year-old girl living in a futuristic, somewhat postapocalyptic, Edinburgh talks to ghosts to make a living. She relays messages from the dead to the living for a fee that allows her to take care of her younger sister and her gran. Life is hard for them - they live in a caravan in the slums and it’s hard to make ends meet, especially when government forces like the police are corrupt and take her money. She uses a traditional Zimbabwean musical instrument that allows her to communicate with ghosts. While looking for work one evening, she comes across a ghost who doesn’t have family members who can pay, but she begs Ropa to find her living son who has gone missing. Ropa must pay rent, though, and she can’t take the time to hunt this child down, but after speaking with her gran, she decides otherwise.
She comes across an old friend who now works in a magical library, and makes her way in. She is interested in doing magic, but she has only ever been able to see ghosts, nothing more, and her family never had the money to send her to a proper school to learn. She meets another new friend, and together they embark on an quest to find the lost boy, but Ropa soon realizes he isn’t the only lost boy, and many lost children of Edinburgh all seem to be connected.
She is taken captive by dark magic while trying to learn more about the lost children, and she must use her own skills and magic if she will make it back to her sister and gran.
About the Author
T. L. Huchu
Tendai Huchu is the author of The Edinburgh Nights series, as well as two other standalone fiction books. He is a runner and lives in Scotland.
(Pan Macmillan, n.d.)
Critical Evaluation
This book was outside of my wheelhouse, and I enjoyed it. I’ll start with what I liked - The main character Ropa, was a well-developed teen. She wasn’t perfect, but she tried to do her best in less than perfect circumstances. and I think many teens will be able to relate to this. The other characters were also well developed. When she meets her new friend, Priya, she is described as having a chesire grin, which I can just see a best friend having. Her gran feels like a beautiful wise old woman, and whenever they embraced, I could feel the warmth of it coming out of the pages.
The setting was a bit post-apocalyptic, but it wasn’t exactly clear why. This was the first of a four-book-series, so I am guessing the reader might learn more later, or maybe it doesn’t even matter, but I wished there had been a few more hints or details about the past. Having visited Edinburgh this past summer, it was fun to imagine this dark side of the city, and parts of the slums were flushed out (like when her and Priya go to find someone), but the part of the city where she lives could have been developed a bit more, in my opinion. Lastly, though, I felt like the title baited me. The actual library in the story felt like such a small part of the plot and setting. Lastly, there was a lot of slang that I had to re-read to understand- which I guess in reality can be good to stretch those critical thinking skills, though.
In an interview, Huchu describes Shona beliefs of his Zimbabwean relatives and how Edinburg is the perfect home for these beliefs. He reminders readers that while this seems made up, it is indeed taken seriously by some people. He also shares that he is “drawn to the fantastic in fiction” because he believes it is “the original mode of storytelling” (Huchu, 2021b).
Creative Use for a Library Program
Have the teens host an after-hours haunted library for kids ages 8-12. Inspiration can be found here.
Speed-Round Talk
In a futuristic Edinburgh, 14-year-old Ropa drops out of school to care for her younger sister and her gran by using magic to relay messages from the dead to their living family members. She comes across a ghost who asks for her help to find her son, though. Ropa doesn’t want to help because the lady can’t pay her, but soon decides to help anyway. However, in the search for the young boy, Ropa finds an even darker side of Edinburgh and discovers more missing children. Will she become a victim in the process of trying to help them?
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
This book is about ghosts and magic. It is possible it could be challenged by folks who have religious beliefs against these things. This book isn’t for everyone, but at the heart of the story is a heroine who chooses to do the right thing.
Reason for Inclusion
This setting and cultural elements of this book are unique. The protagonist’s new best friend is in a wheelchair, which is featured in a fantastic way as they use it to get away from the villain in one scene. Teens who want sci-fi/fantasy without any spice will enjoy this story.
Bonus Information
This is part of a four-book-series (and the fourth was just release November 12, 2024).
References
Huchu, T. L. (2021a). The library of the dead. Tor.
Huchu, T. L. (2021b). T. L. Huchu talks witch-hunting aunties and the Zimbabwean magic in Scotland that inspired his fantasy novel. Pan Macmillan. https://www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/young-adult/library-of-the-dead-inspiration-t-l-huchu
Saturday Night Live (@snl). (2016, October 2). Mr. robot son GIF by Saturday Night Live [Gif]. Giphy. https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-saturday-night-live-snl-2016-26ufqhIPbmA2Xfrvq
Pan Macmillan. (n.d.). T. L. Huchu. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/t-l-huchu/40770
Pan Macmillan. (n.d.). T. L. Huchu [photograph]. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/t-l-huchu/40770
*Book COver Image is property of publisher, Tor; taken from Amazon.