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The Borrower: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 4,141 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this delightful, funny, and moving first novel, a librarian and a young boy obsessed with reading take to the road. Lucy Hull, a young children's librarian in Hannibal, Missouri, finds herself both a kidnapper and kidnapped when her favorite patron, ten- year-old Ian Drake, runs away from home. The precocious Ian is addicted to reading, but needs Lucy's help to smuggle books past his overbearing mother, who has enrolled Ian in weekly antigay classes with celebrity Pastor Bob. Lucy stumbles into a moral dilemma when she finds Ian camped out in the library after hours with a knapsack of provisions and an escape plan. Desperate to save him from Pastor Bob and the Drakes, Lucy allows herself to be hijacked by Ian. The odd pair embarks on a crazy road trip from Missouri to Vermont, with ferrets, an inconvenient boyfriend, and upsetting family history thrown in their path. But is it just Ian who is running away? Who is the man who seems to be on their tail? And should Lucy be trying to save a boy from his own parents?
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"I was a little slow to warm up to this book, but by the end I was cooking dinner with one hand and holding it in the other so I could see how it turned out. (Lucy, one of the main characters, kind of alludes to how it turns out throughout the book, but I just couldn't figure out HOW!) I particularly loved the descriptions of how a ten-year-old does certain things, like "How Ian Says Goodbye." Or at one point, Ian begins talking like a robot out of nowhere and I thought, "Yep, that's a 10-year-old boy." The children's lit references throughout were clever and I felt frustrated when I knew it was a lit reference and I didn't get it! I also liked the underlying, "You are okay just the way you are" message. Overall, delightful!"
— Sharon (4 out of 5 stars)
The Borrower Listener Reviews
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" I just didn't like this book. I appreciated Makkai's writing (hence 2 stars instead of 1), and I got the humorous improbability of the situation. However, I just found the the circumstances of a 26-year-old librarian going on a road trip with a 10-year-old boy without his parents' knowledge unsettling. I was also put off by the preachiness--I'm fine with a novelist's expressing a particular point of view, but I prefer a little subtlety. "
— Barbara, 2/15/2014 -
" Simultaneously sweet, sad and uproariously funny. "
— Martie, 2/12/2014 -
" I enjoyed the witty characters and the connections to kid lit. Reminded me a little of a John Green novel with the road trip adventure. "
— The, 2/7/2014 -
" This is a quirky story with many references to children's literature and contemporary politics. The word play is clever and funny. I thought the road trip unrealistic as well as slightly tedious toward the end of the book. However, the author's point about the perilous path for a young boy who is a homosexual is touching and well made. The novel is yet another comment on the power of story and books. "
— Jane, 1/29/2014 -
" Strange story about a librarian who gets kidnapped by a 10 year old boy who is running away from home. Lots of literary references. I found this to be a very slow read but in the end it was satisfactory. "
— Rachel, 1/15/2014 -
" I really liked this story. Moving and interesting. "
— Stephen, 1/14/2014 -
" This was kind of a weird story. The librarian runs away with a 10 year old boy because the boy has run away from home and does not return. Why she does it is never quite clear. From that point it is the story of their journey. "
— Thomas, 12/31/2013 -
" Very unique book, well written, and exciting. Kept me engaged the entire time. "
— Pei, 12/28/2013 -
" This sucked me in even though the plot was kind of implausible and the mousy librarian thing was overdone. "
— JulieK, 12/26/2013 -
" A librarian becomes tangled in the life of a 10 year old avid reader and find herself no longer in control of a road trip. Very interesting, hard to put down. "
— Jeanne, 11/30/2013 -
" Enjoyed this road trip with a children's librarian and her favorite patron. "
— Candice, 11/17/2013 -
" Utterly delightful and whimsical. Not in the least bit plausible, but that's okay. Love the trip down memory lane of children's books, and it means a whole lot more now that I'm a teacher. We need more kids like Ian! "
— Paul, 11/16/2013 -
" I love the authentic voice of the child in this novel, and also appreciated Makkai's many allusions to various works of literature. Fun and charming read! "
— Laura, 9/13/2013 -
" Farfetched but clever and engaging, nonetheless. "
— j, 8/18/2013 -
" quirky & fun! I like all the references to well known titles, passages and classic fave books. "
— Loren, 8/3/2013 -
" A bit strange but I did finish it, maybe because it was quirky and I was interested in the Library setting. "
— Nomie, 7/21/2013 -
" Didn't like it as much as I thought I would though I did enjoy the references to children books and book characters... "
— Krista, 3/12/2013 -
" Loved it! I want to be the narrator. "
— Marnie, 9/30/2012 -
" Good first book from this writer. "
— Elena, 6/21/2012 -
" A librarian is kidnapped by one of her young charges (or is it the other way around?) and forced into going on an enlightening road trip. "
— Jenna, 3/25/2012 -
" What a boring book...half of it was just blah blah blah having to do nothing with the story. Don't waste your time. "
— Ryan, 3/7/2012 -
" I was never terribly impressed with this book and it stretched my bands of reality. "
— Terri, 12/29/2011 -
" Struggled thru to finish it...depressingly interesting in a bland kind of way...Had to finish it, but the journey was not enjoyable... "
— Mamarose49, 10/14/2011 -
" I would have to, hands down, say that this was probably one of the most "delightful" books I've read in a long time. Part fantasy, fairy tale, reality, mystery all rolled into one. Easy reading. Quite enjoyed it! "
— Patricia, 10/5/2011 -
" I wanted to like this more. The first chunk was very enjoyable, funny and well-written. Then it got improbable, but I finished it because the author is a Bread Loafer and because it's vacation. "
— Tasha, 6/24/2011 -
" Amazing!!! If you only read one book this summer, this is it. A beautifully written, sensitive novel of an 'accidental' kidnaping and road trip with one of the most endearing kids you will ever encounter. Read it. "
— Carol, 6/20/2011 -
" cute quirky book written specifically for it seems, young female library staff. hey, i'm not going to argue with that :) "
— Kim, 6/20/2011 -
" Very engaging book. Librarians-what do you think? "
— Susan, 6/18/2011 -
" I love, love, love this book, and everything about it. Read it. "
— Kat, 6/13/2011 -
" Great idea, great beginning but slow mid-way. Great for any YA/Children's librarians! "
— Amy, 6/9/2011 -
" I have mixed feelings about this one. I absolutely LOVED the way Ian and Lucy were written, but certain plot elements were so forced. "
— Bethany, 6/4/2011
About Rebecca Makkai
Rebecca Makkai is the author of several acclaimed novels, including The Great Believers, which was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and winner of the ALA Carnegie Medal, the Stonewall Book Award, the Clark Prize, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize; and it was chosen as one of the Ten Best Books of 2018 by the New York Times. She is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow and is on the MFA faculties of the University of Nevada—Reno at Lake Tahoe and Northwestern University. She is artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago.
About Kristen Sieh
Kristen Sieh is a voice and television actress. She has appeared on such television shows as Law & Order and Boardwalk Empire. She has also narrated several audio books.