“Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices… Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?” Nora's life does not make sense anymore. Losing her father at an young age was the one thing she never overcame. She could have been a better daughter to him. What if she never quit swimming? Maybe he would have still loved her. Left with her mother and brother, Nora quickly realized her family was being held by thin strands. Getting a philosophy degree was not really the best decision, jobs were scarce. Playing in a band with her brother and his friend was the one thing she truly enjoyed. Playing music is the only time when she completely lost herself. A record deal came around the same time as a wedding proposal and Nora chose to leave the band. It left her brother devastated and he never contacted her again. Her marriage did not last long either. Soon she found herself working in a music shop at the age of thirty-one. Alone, divorced and completely devoid of love and company. Nora was depressed, to say the least. Her mother died of cancer and she had no one but her cat Voltaire. Often she asked herself what would her life be if she chose different? What if she kept swimming or stayed in the band? She had so many regrets and what ifs. One rainy night she decided to take her life. No one seemed to need her and the world would be better off without her for sure. Taking her life was much easier than she thought but she did not find herself in a dark, cold place. Instead, she found herself in the library and even her old school librarian was there. Ah, Mrs. Elm. What was she doing here and why was she here? Is this supposed to be her version of heaven? Books were her sanctuary after all. No, she was not in heaven. She was not alive or dead, she was somewhere in between - the Midnight Library. In the Midnight Library there are thousands of books which represent what would her life look like if she chose differently. Is there a life where she continued swimming or quit the band? Is there a life where she was still married or decided to go out with her cute neighbour next door? Endless possibilities but why was she here? She wanted to be dead not reminded of what her life would look like if she did not mess up. The Midnight Library was a way of life granting her one more time to back out, to chose differently. But what will Nora chose, life or death? I am highly influenced by the books other people are reading. The Midnight Library was one of the many books I was intrigued by and I could not wait to get my hands on it. I rarely read about mental health or suicide in books and altough I feel like these topics are widely discussed in today's society, the suicide rates are not dropping. Nora felt like she disappointed everyone she loved simply because she wanted something else for herself. Living in a selfish household makes you believe that you have to make decisions according to other people's wishes. Combine rejection and loneliness you get depression. This book reminds you that humans are fragile beings. Constantly rejecting, critizing and hurting someone can lead to suicide. We never know what is going on in someone's head or how they are reacting to our words. Do not be selfish and rely on someone else to fulfill your dreams and aspirations. Be careful with your words, check out on loved ones and be their shoulder to cry on. By doing simple things we can save many lives.
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September 2023
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