Overdue

"Amanda Oliver's harrowing and moving tale is, among other things, an indictment of our country's grotesquely inadequate social services. She demolishes whatever stereotypes we might carry of librarians and libraries." Tom Lutz, award-winning author of The Kindness of Strangers
"Overdue paints a vivid and meticulously researched picture of American public libraries: not as utopias exempt from the inequality and violence in our country, but as real places that too often bear the brunt of them. Both a deeply personal cry of frustration and a boldly argued rallying cry, this book will change the way you think about libraries. It will, in all the best ways, make you want to fight: not just for more equitable libraries, but for a more equitable world." Claire Comstock-Gay, author of Madame Clairvoyant's Guide to the Stars
"One part love letter, one part eulogy, Overdue tells the story of America's public library system through the eyes of a young, idealistic librarian who has experienced both the best and worst of it. Amanda Oliver proves herself a vibrant new literary voice as she weaves her own deeply personal account with an unblinking look what the library was meant to be, and what it has become. This is a book for all book lovers." Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth
"Overdue is a work of not only rigorous research but also enormous empathy as it attempts to reckon with our country's many failures and how they manifest themselves in our public library system. It should be required reading for those of us who love to read." Zan Romanoff, author of Look
"Overdue by Amanda Oliver is a crucial, incisive, heartening look at our society through the triumphs and pitfalls of our public library system. This book is required reading for everyone who remembers their first trip to these community centers fondly and wants that experience for future generations." Akilah Hughes, author of Obviously: Stories from My Timeline
"Overdue sheds light on some of our country's most literary and sacred spaces. In this powerful, thoughtful, and deeply compelling debut, Amanda Oliver shows us what libraries are for, what they cannot do, and how belonging can look so many different ways. For anyone who has ever delighted in the cool hush of the stacks of a library, this book is for you." Emily Rapp Black, author of The Still Point of the Turning World
"As a writer saved, like so many others, by the public library in my hometown, I was fascinated by Amanda Oliver's tender, truthful, wide-ranging, and deeply personal memoir about life in American libraries, and her honesty about the centers and edges of American life right now. It's a testament to the written word and saving graces." Susan Straight, author of Between Heaven and Here