Julia Whelan had a challenge at her hands in the form of this book because she had to narrate more than one female character in the novel. The female characters are different in their approach to life and their personality also varies a lot. The author Jojo Moyes has done this intentionally in order to make the recognition of characters much easier. With After You or Paris for One and Other Stories in mind, the listener might not be able to understand this book as it is written on a different topic and conveys a different theme.
Alice always wanted an enjoyable life, she thought that she had lived a miserable life as a young girl. She married the man of her choice and soon found out that life with that man and her father-in-law was even tougher. One day Alice heard that a traveling library was taking books to a nearby town and help was needed.
Alice at once signed up for the job and started the journey with a bunch of other women. Here in the traveling library, Alice meets a number of female characters and one of them is Margery. Margery has never worked under the supervision of men because she likes to work in an independent way.
The come three other women of the same category and these five individuals learn how to make their way in a society that is dominated by men. They help each other and transfer their experiences to others so that they can finally get stronger than before. It is amazing to see how the company can have an impact on the mind of a person so quickly.
