DISCLAIMER: The author of the book reviewed below and I are members of the same early morning writing group. I looked forward to her book when it first came out and finally got around to reading it. Had I thought I could not offer an honest review of her book, I would not write one at all.
Plot:
Brenda Kato, the events and acquisitions coordinator for the Chapel Bay Library, receives an email from a group calling itself “Lovers of Literature.” The lovers have a narrow definition of literature, however. The email raises objections to several books and speakers for “Meet the Author” events that Brenda arranges. Most of the books and authors that “Lovers of Literature” opposes have LGBTQ+ themes, are written by or about black and brown people or religious minorities, and lastly, tell Asian stories.
The hits Brenda particularly hard. Not only is she a lesbian, but her late mother, Toshi, spent time in a Japanese internment camp as a child.
The email closes with a threat: “Be warned that attempts to glorify these ‘woke’ authors will result in protests and possible other action.”
Bad grammar aside, what does this mean? Brenda forwards the email to the head librarian and asks him to see if the IT people can determine who is behind the nastiness.
After work, Brenda goes for a run. It will help clear her mind of the funk the unsettling email has left her in, but it is more than that. She is training for a marathon.
As she’s rounding a corner, a Labrador appears in her path. The dog is enthusiastic, but not aggressive. His owner pulls him and his other dog away, but they nearly trip Brenda. To add insult to injury, she is frightened of dogs. If that weren’t enough, a dark sedan has been following her. Who is behind the wheel? Do they mean her harm? Is this a “Lover of Literature,” out to intimidate her?
The reader then meets Joe West, the dogs’ owner, a retired psychologist with a checkered past. He has history with the author scheduled for the next “Meet the Author” event. Could he be the one writing the nasty emails?
Next, the reader meets busybody Harriet Conley, who knows what’s best for everyone and is not shy about saying so. She is a widow with time on her hands. She certainly has the time (and the moxie) to be sending emails telling Brenda what books should be in the library and what authors should be speaking there. Is she?
Thoughts:
The secondary characters, Joe West and Harriet Conely, are introduced around the focal point of poor Brenda nearly being run off the path by Joe’s dog. Each of the three has a story, creating a kind of Rashomon effect. The Rashomon-like effect speaks to what one person does not and cannot know about the people they encounter in everyday life. It is also a wordless plea for forgiveness and empathy.
Brenda is understandably annoyed with Joe and his dogs, as well as Harriet, the wellspring of unsolicited advice. But there’s more to this than meets the eye.
Snider handles the ideas of reconciliation, empathy, and forgiveness with a light touch. If there is preaching in the book, it is not to the reader. Humor runs through the stories.
The setting, a small town in coastal northern California, is brought to life as a peaceful place with occasional tourist invasions. Gulls cry, and waves crash.
I especially enjoyed this book for its humanness. Brenda misses her ex, searches for a father she never knew, and mourns for her mother. It was a great read.
Title: Chapel Bay Secrets
Author: Julie Snider
First published: 2026
Length: novel
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 