This inventive book follows Nora Seed who is tired of her life and all the mistakes she made. But instead of reaching the afterlife as she assumed, she finds herself in an infinite library, greeted by her childhood librarian who invites her to pick a book off the shelves. Nora then learns that she has the opportunity to live an infinite number of lives and experience the things she could not in her original life. All she must do is pick up a book and read the first line and she is transported into that life. Nora uses this opportunity to amend every mistake she felt she made, undo every regret and open every door she imagined in her mundane root life.

Haig’s genius book shows readers the desires every human experiences. The big dreams of being a rockstar or a scientist saving the world. Haig reveals that regrets are not necessarily missed opportunities but often scapegoats for one’s life failing to meet expectations. In the book, Nora feels that she lost every opportunity to live a happy life, create relationships, or be successful as everyone expected judging by her gifted youth. She feels useless in her original life, not needed by anyone or amounted to anything she could have been. When in the midnight library she is presented with the book of regrets, a thick volume with everything she has ever regretted. As she continues to pull books off the shelves and live new lives, she realizes that though she thought she regretted not becoming a rockstar or a famous philosopher, her original life suited her best. As readers, we get to see the impacts small actions can make on others’ lives. The effect small kindnesses can have on people’s lives though they seem insignificant. “Never underestimate the big importance of small things.” This book highlights true happiness. It is not in exterior success like fame or fortune, but in creating relationships with those around you and continuing to gift a little bit of kindness.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Alcott is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.