The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak (Blog Tour)

About the Book

Book Summary: 

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand, a riveting exploration of family, sisterhood, and the transformative power of literature. When two sisters, one a free spirit at the helm of a rebellious book club, the other a conventional woman locked in the clutches of an unhappy marriage are forced into a reluctant reunion by their mother’s illness, they must confront past ghosts that rock the entire community.

Gia Rossi was considered a bit of a rebel in her small hometown of Wakefield, Iowa ever since she challenged the gaggle of well-meaning but misguided women from the PTA who’d insisted the high school English department, drop a number of “controversial” titles from the reading list. Gia had expected her favorite teacher to stand up for the books she loved by explaining why they were so important. Instead, just to avoid a fight, he’d caved in immediately, which was what had incited her to start The Banned Books Club.

That was the first time Mr. Hart had let her down, but it wouldn’t be the last. Because of him she left her hometown when she turned eighteen and graduated. But now, with her sister begging her to return home due to their mother’s failing health, Gia will come face to face with the beloved teacher who was fired after she reported him for sexual misconduct. Gia’s return has the town divided between those who believe her and those who believe she ruined Mr. Hart’s life. Even members of her beloved book club–who’ve continued to meet virtually over the years–aren’t sure who to believe.

Gia’s homecoming dredges up a lot of pain from her past. Her relationship with her sister has always been strained but there’s no denying that Margot has taken on the burden of caring for their mother and now it’s Gia’s turn to help. She’s grateful to have the time with her mother and to come to terms with what happened to her in high school. What she doesn’t expect is for her sister to use Gia’s arrival as the opportunity to pack up her kids and leave town to escape her emotionally abusive husband. With the support of an unlikely ally, Gia is able to prove that Mr. Hart really was to blame for his own downfall, supports her mother and her sister when they need her most and finds love and a future in the town she thought rejected her.

My Review

Gia Rossi left her hometown of Wakefield, Iowa after she graduated from high school.  She left behind her parents and sister, but she couldn’t stay in the small town after a scandal involving her and one of her teachers.  She accused one of her teachers of sexual misconduct and he had been fired.  Everyone in Wakefield wished Gia had kept quiet. She didn’t and it destroyed the teacher’s family and Gia’s own relationships with everyone including her own family.

Now, seventeen years later, Gia gets a call from her sister begging her to come home and help with the care of their sick mother, she has no choice but to go home.  Her sister is raising two young sons and is dealing with her own problems. She needs help.  

Gia quickly learns it’s not easy to go home. The people of Wakefield haven’t forgotten the past and her former teacher still lives there.  His hatred for her has grown and his family feels the same.  During her high school days, Gia formed the Banned Books Club, and she hopes to restart it.  Many of the members still live there, but she quickly learns their allegiance is divided between Gia and their former teacher.  

The drama doesn’t end there.  Although she fights it, there is romance in the air for Gia.  To add to Gia’s troubles, her sister has vanished, and her mother’s care is left to her and her father.  

I thought this book was going to be about a book club group, but the book club was more of a side note.  However, this book did not disappoint.  It’s a story that will stick with you.  It’s an emotionally charged book dealing with real-life issues.  It dealt with many different issues such as sexual misconduct, illness, betrayal, marital troubles, misunderstandings and a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

The characters are all written realistically and feel like people that could be your neighbors.  My heart tore for Gia, who didn’t have many people supporting her.  Even her own family is a bit distant towards her.  Gia faces issues that are very much like people face in the real world.  

A book that touches my heart and brings tears to my eyes, wins me over all the time.  It’s been a long time since I read one of Brenda Novak’s books, but I won’t wait so long to read another.  I really need to go through her backlist.  This is the perfect, heartwarming, poignant story.

For reading challenges:

Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2024
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2024 (Iowa)
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2024

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Bio

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Bookbuyer’s Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

Social Links: