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The Library Book

The Library Book is a 2018 non-fiction book by American author Susan Orlean, published by Simon & Schuster on October 16, that investigates the April 29, 1986, fire at the Los Angeles Central Library—the largest library fire in U.S. history—which destroyed over 400,000 books and damaged an additional 700,000 while forcing the library's closure for seven years.^[1]^[2] The work reopens the unsolved arson case, blending true-crime elements with a cultural history of the Los Angeles Public Library system since its founding in 1872 and reflections on libraries' enduring role in American society.^[1]^[3] Orlean structures the narrative around the fire's intense destruction—reaching temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and burning for more than seven hours—while examining the prime suspect, aspiring actor Harry Peak, whose alibi and motives remain disputed decades later.^[1] The book interweaves this mystery with biographical sketches of key librarians, historical vignettes of the library's evolution, and Orlean's personal memoir of her lifelong affinity for reading and public libraries as vital community hubs.^[1]^[4] Upon release, The Library Book became a New York Times bestseller and received widespread acclaim for its engaging storytelling and tribute to libraries, earning honors including the California Book Award Gold Medal for Nonfiction, a Carnegie Medal Honor, and selection as one of the Washington Post's Top 10 Books of the Year.^[2]^[5]^[4] It was also nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Current Interest and the Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction, underscoring its impact on discussions about cultural preservation and institutional resilience.^[6]^[7]

Development and Publication

Inspiration and Research

Susan Orlean's interest in The Library Book originated in 2011, shortly after moving to Los Angeles, when she accompanied her then-six-year-old son to the Los Angeles Central Library for a school project requiring an interview with a city employee. During the visit, a librarian mentioned the devastating 1986 fire that had nearly destroyed the building, igniting Orlean's curiosity about the event and prompting her to explore the library's history and the unsolved arson mystery.^[8] Orlean conducted several years of intensive research starting around 2011, immersing herself in the project's investigative demands. She interviewed dozens of key figures, including current and former librarians who witnessed the fire's aftermath, firefighters involved in the response, and associates of Harry Peak, the primary suspect in the arson case. Her archival work extended to poring over library records, historical documents, and official fire investigation reports, allowing her to reconstruct the institution's evolution and the fire's impact.^[8] As a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and author of acclaimed non-fiction works such as The Orchid Thief (1998), Orlean brought her established expertise in immersive, narrative-driven journalism to the project.^[9] This background equipped her to weave personal storytelling with rigorous fact-finding, though the research presented notable hurdles. Sealed portions of the fire investigation files proved difficult to access, requiring persistent outreach to authorities, while reconstructing the pre-fire collection—estimated at over 400,000 volumes completely destroyed, with hundreds of thousands more damaged—relied on fragmented catalogs, survivor accounts, and institutional memory.^[10]

Writing and Release

The research phase for The Library Book was sparked by the 2011 family visit to the Los Angeles Central Library; during the subsequent writing phase, Orlean's mother was diagnosed with dementia and passed away. Susan Orlean dedicated the writing and late-stage research from approximately 2016 to 2018, spanning a 2.5-year period.^[8] She worked at a treadmill desk, averaging 6,000 steps per day five days a week, which amounted to approximately 3.9 million steps over that time.^[8] Orlean structured the narrative by braiding three timelines— the library's origins in the 19th century, the 1986 fire investigation, and contemporary library operations—using a board and index cards to maintain flow and momentum while blending true-crime investigation with personal memoir elements.^[8]^[11] Orlean collaborated closely with her editor and agent throughout the process, including their joint suggestion of the book's title during the proposal stage.^[11] Key decisions involved adopting a personal, reflective narrative voice that incorporated her own experiences, such as her Jewish heritage and family dynamics, alongside the investigative elements.^[8] The book also features an insert of photographs drawn from the Los Angeles Public Library's archives, illustrating key figures and events in the institution's history.^[12] The Library Book was published by Simon & Schuster on October 16, 2018, in a 336-page hardcover edition (ISBN 978-1-4767-4018-8).^[13] Subsequent editions included a paperback release in 2019 (ISBN 978-1-4767-4019-5) and international versions, such as the UK edition by Corvus (ISBN 978-1-78239-228-6).^[13]^[14] Initial marketing efforts centered on promotional tours connected to libraries and book festivals, including appearances at the Wisconsin Book Festival in November 2018 and events at institutions like the Pleasant Valley Library to support fire recovery initiatives.^[15]^[16] The book debuted on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list shortly after its release.^[17]

Content and Themes

The 1986 Library Fire Investigation

On April 29, 1986, a massive fire erupted at the Central Library of the Los Angeles Public Library system in downtown Los Angeles, beginning with an alarm at 10:52 a.m. and raging for approximately seven hours until it was fully contained around 6:30 p.m.^[18]^[19] The blaze originated on the fifth floor in the northeast book stacks and quickly spread due to the building's open atrium design and highly flammable paper collections, reaching temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.^[20]^[19] The fire destroyed about 400,000 volumes, representing roughly 20% of the library's collection of over 2 million books, maps, and other materials, while smoke and water damage affected an additional 700,000 items.^[18]^[10] The total estimated damage was $22 million in 1986 dollars, including $20 million to contents and $2 million to the structure, though irreplaceable historical documents, photographs, and artworks were also lost.^[21]^[19] In response, more than 250 firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department battled the flames using 60 engine companies, helicopters, and extensive water lines, resulting in injuries to 44 firefighters and one civilian.^[19]^[18] Investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department Arson Unit and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms quickly determined the fire was incendiary, ruling out accidental causes initially but later considering possibilities like electrical faults given the building's outdated wiring and faulty alarm system.^[18]^[22] The primary suspect was Harry Peak, a 28-year-old aspiring actor known for fabricating stories, who was arrested on February 27, 1987, after providing seven conflicting alibis and matching a witness sketch.^[10]^[20] Peak confessed to setting the fire during interrogation but later recanted, claiming his statements were coerced or exaggerated for attention, and was released without charges on March 2, 1987, after the district attorney declined to prosecute due to insufficient evidence.^[10]^[23] He filed a civil suit against the city for false arrest, which was settled out of court shortly before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1993 at age 34.^[23]^[24]^[25] Despite extensive probes, including other potential suspects like disgruntled employees, the case remains unsolved, with some experts suggesting an accidental origin rather than deliberate arson.^[20]^[23] In the immediate aftermath, the Central Library was closed indefinitely for safety assessments and recovery efforts, remaining shuttered for seven years until its reopening in October 1993 following extensive renovations.^[20]^[23] Damaged books were transported to restoration facilities, where volunteers and specialists freeze-dried over 350,000 volumes to salvage 85% of their value, while the "Save the Books" community fundraising campaign raised $10 million to replace lost materials through donations from thousands of individuals and organizations.^[18]^[26] Insurance claims covered much of the structural repairs and content losses, enabling the library's modernization with improved fire suppression systems during the rebuild.^[27]^[23]

Los Angeles Public Library History

The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) was founded on December 7, 1872, as the Los Angeles Library Association at the Merced Theater, with California Governor John G. Downey presiding over the meeting. It opened to the public in 1873 in the Downey Block with a modest collection of 750 volumes and two reading rooms. In 1878, the City Council established it as an official city department, marking its transition into a public institution. Under Mary Foy, appointed as the first female City Librarian in 1880 at age 18, the library underwent significant expansion in the 1890s; Foy implemented innovative services like traveling libraries and deposit stations to reach underserved areas, growing the collection and establishing early branches to serve the city's burgeoning population.^[28]^[28]^[28] A major milestone came with the 1926 opening of the Central Library on July 15, designed by architect Bertram Goodhue in the Mediterranean Revival style, featuring intricate Mayan Revival motifs and symbolic sculptures that reflected Los Angeles's cultural aspirations. The building, funded by a 1921 bond issue of $2 million, symbolized the library's maturation into a grand civic landmark. The 1933 Long Beach earthquake caused extensive damage, closing 26 branches and toppling over 100,000 books at the Central Library, yet the institution persisted through repairs and adaptations. Post-World War II, amid rapid population growth, LAPL expanded dramatically to over 70 branches by the mid-20th century, enhancing access across diverse neighborhoods; it played a vital role in community integration through programs like adult literacy initiatives, which help individuals achieve goals such as reading newspapers or assisting with homework, and immigrant services via the New Americans Initiative, offering free citizenship preparation and immigration support.^[28]^[29]^[28] Prior to 1986, LAPL's collections were renowned for their depth, particularly in the Special Collections with over 22,000 rare books amassed since 1905 under City Librarian Charles Fletcher Lummis, including early Californiana like Venegas' Noticia de la California (1757) and significant acquisitions from the Zamorano Eighty list. The History and Genealogy Department housed extensive regional archives, while the Science, Technology & Patents Department featured specialized resources like ornithology texts and technical volumes, supporting researchers and hobbyists alike. The 1986 fire disrupted these holdings but spurred recovery efforts, including a $3.2 million fundraising drive; after seven years of closure and seismic renovations, the Central Library reopened on October 3, 1993, with enhanced fire suppression and restored collections.^[30]^[30]^[31] As a cornerstone of democratic access in Los Angeles, LAPL embodies the ideal of free knowledge for all, serving over 4 million residents through its Central Library and 72 branches while attracting a record 17 million annual visitors who engage with its resources for education, employment, and cultural enrichment. This influence extends to local culture, fostering literacy and civic participation in a diverse metropolis.^[32]^[33]^[32]

Personal and Cultural Reflections

Susan Orlean's engagement with The Library Book is deeply rooted in her childhood experiences with libraries, which she describes as formative moments of independence and wonder. Growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Orlean visited the Bertram Woods Branch twice weekly from the age of four, accompanying her mother on trips that emphasized borrowing over buying due to her family's Depression-era frugality.^[34] These outings allowed her to explore the shelves freely, fostering a sense of autonomy she recalls as "the first place that I was ever given independence."^[34] Her bookish obsessions emerged through the tactile pleasures of reading, such as the "solid, warm weight" of stacked books on her lap and the sensory delight of their pages.^[34] In college at the University of Michigan, this passion evolved into a preference for owning books, drawn to the "alkaline tang of new ink and paper" and the "crack of a freshly flexed spine," contrasting the worn familiarity of library copies.^[34] The project reignited this enthusiasm after Orlean moved to Los Angeles in 2011 and began visiting the Studio City branch with her young son, mirroring her childhood rituals and prompting her to delve into the Los Angeles Public Library system's history amid her mother's advancing dementia.^[34]^[1] Throughout The Library Book, Orlean portrays libraries as vital community hubs that provide knowledge, solace, and opportunities for reinvention, drawing on vivid stories of patrons and librarians to illustrate their enduring resilience. She emphasizes libraries' role as welcoming spaces offering "everything" without demand, serving as a "perfect third place" beyond home and work for personal growth and comfort.^[11] Examples from the book include accounts of diverse patrons—from immigrants learning English to homeless individuals seeking refuge—highlighting how libraries foster connection and self-improvement amid societal challenges.^[11] Librarians emerge as resilient stewards, exemplified by their tireless efforts to rebuild after the 1986 fire, which Orlean ties to broader themes of institutional endurance and community support.^[8] These narratives underscore libraries' evolution into dynamic centers with programming and events that make them "indispensable" in modern life.^[11] Orlean employs a non-linear narrative structure in The Library Book, blending elements of true crime, historical chronicle, and personal essay to interweave the story of suspect Harry Peak with the lore of the Los Angeles Public Library and her own reflective voice. Rather than a chronological account, the book braids three timelines—nineteenth-century origins, the 1986 fire, and contemporary library operations—using chapters that shift fluidly to create a mosaic effect.^[8] This approach, planned with index cards on a large board, allows Peak's eccentric tale to intersect with archival details and Orlean's introspections, enriching the reader's understanding of libraries as living entities.^[8] She describes libraries as "our collective brain," a metaphor that personalizes the historical and investigative threads, linking institutional memory to human fragility.^[8] In a broader cultural commentary, Orlean addresses the profound loss of knowledge and heritage in the digital age, arguing that physical libraries retain an irreplaceable human element that digital alternatives cannot replicate. She views libraries as preservers of "permanence and memory," holding "reliable and sturdy" books that safeguard cultural stories against the impermanence of human recall or online ephemera.^[35] The 1986 fire serves as a poignant symbol of such vulnerability, evoking historical book burnings that signal deeper cultural erasure, as in the Nazi regime's destruction of one-third of Germany's books.^[36] Yet Orlean remains optimistic, noting libraries' adaptation as "humanitarian hubs" offering analog experiences—like in-person assistance and community gatherings—that counter digital isolation and foster shared heritage.^[36] This human-centric role, she asserts, ensures libraries' relevance as "centers of information/knowledge" in an era of rapid technological change.^[36]

Reception and Impact

Critical Reviews

Critical reviews of The Library Book by Susan Orlean, published in October 2018, were overwhelmingly positive, with major outlets praising its multifaceted exploration of the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire and its broader implications for libraries as cultural institutions. Dwight Garner, in The New York Times, praised the book as "exquisitely written" and "consistently entertaining," highlighting Orlean's ability to weave personal memory with investigative detail in a way that feels immediate and human-centered.^[24] Similarly, Ron Charles of The Washington Post commended Orlean's vivid prose for blending the fire's mystery with reflections on books' fragility and libraries' enduring role in community life.^[37] Publishers Weekly designated the book a "PW Pick," appreciating its vivid storytelling as an investigative and historical account that profiles library staff and underscores the institution's communal value, reminding readers of libraries' role in preserving shared narratives.^[38] Author Michael Lewis, reviewing for The New York Times, endorsed Orlean's approach to obsession and overlooked stories, calling the book an "absorbing account" of the fire and a homage to libraries that reveals "rich material where no one else has bothered to look."^[39] These endorsements emphasized the book's appeal as thoughtful nonfiction that connects personal and public histories. Reviewers frequently highlighted Orlean's successful fusion of genres—true crime investigation, memoir, and cultural history—as a key strength, creating a "kaleidoscopic and riveting mix" that elevates the library fire into a broader meditation on knowledge and loss.^[40] Her accessible prose was noted for its lyrical yet witty tone, making complex historical and investigative elements engaging without overwhelming the reader, as in her evocative descriptions of burning pages that evoke both destruction and human stories.^[24] Coverage in outlets like The Guardian and Kirkus Reviews from late 2018 through 2019 reinforced this, portraying the work as a masterful tribute to libraries amid its mystery-driven narrative.^[41]^[42] While most critiques were favorable, some noted occasional frustrations with the book's pacing, particularly in its historical digressions that stray from the central fire investigation. Kirkus Reviews described the narrative as engaging overall despite its bookish digressions.^[42] These minor reservations did not detract from the book's establishment as a prominent nonfiction title, bolstered by its status as a New York Times bestseller.^[43]

Awards and Commercial Success

The Library Book received several prestigious awards and honors following its publication. It was named an Honor Book for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction in 2019 and an honor in the 2019 Indies Choice Book Awards. The book also won the Gold Award for Nonfiction from the California Book Awards in 2018.^[5] Additionally, it was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the Current Interest category in 2018.^[44] The Chicago Public Library selected it as one of its Best of the Best Books for 2018.^[4] It earned a nomination for the Goodreads Choice Award in the Nonfiction category in 2018.^[45] Commercially, The Library Book achieved significant success, debuting on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list shortly after its October 2018 release and remaining there for at least eight weeks.^[43] The book demonstrated strong performance in both hardcover and audiobook formats, bolstered by its selection as a Reese's Book Club pick.^[4] It was named one of The Washington Post's Top 10 Books of 2018.^[46] The book's acclaim contributed to heightened public interest in libraries, as evidenced by Orlean's speaking engagements, including an appearance at the Los Angeles Public Library in 2018 to discuss its themes.^[47] This broader impact underscored the work's role in celebrating libraries as vital community institutions. International editions have been published in multiple languages.^[2]

Adaptations and Legacy

Television Adaptation

In April 2019, Paramount Television and Anonymous Content acquired the television rights to Susan Orlean's The Library Book, in association with Brillstein Entertainment Partners, with plans to develop it into a limited series.^[48]^[49] Orlean is collaborating on the project, set to write the adaptation and serve as an executive producer, while director James Ponsoldt is attached to adapt and potentially direct the series, which aims to explore the 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire and its broader themes of history and culture.^[48]^[50] The adaptation's potential scope includes dramatizing the investigation into suspect Harry Peak and the institution's historical significance, though no casting, scripting details, or further production milestones have been confirmed.^[48]^[49] As of 2025, the project remains in development without any announced production or release date, coinciding with Orlean's focus on other works, including her memoir Joyride published in October 2025.^[51]^[52] The audiobook adaptation of The Library Book was published by Simon & Schuster Audio on October 16, 2018, and narrated by author Susan Orlean, with a total running time of 12 hours and 9 minutes.^[53] Orlean's performance has been commended for its warm, welcoming tone and engaging delivery, which effectively captures the book's conversational style and immersive storytelling.^[54] Promotional efforts included podcasts and interviews that extended the book's discussion, such as Orlean's October 16, 2018, appearance in the Los Angeles Public Library's ALOUD series, where she conversed with Attica Locke about the library fire and its cultural significance; the event was recorded and released as a podcast.^[3] Additional audio features encompassed Orlean's interviews on platforms like KCRW's Bookworm, exploring the book's blend of history and personal narrative, and The Secret Library Podcast, which delved into its themes of preservation and community.^[55]^[56] Related media encompasses supplementary online resources tied to the book's subject, including the Los Angeles Public Library's website, which features a detailed timeline of the institution's history—highlighting the 1986 fire—and archival photos documenting the event and recovery efforts.^[28]^[18] Tie-in events, such as author readings and library-hosted discussions inspired by the book, have heightened public awareness of library systems' roles in education and cultural heritage.^[12] The audiobook has expanded accessibility, particularly for visually impaired readers, by being available through services like Audible and OverDrive's digital lending platforms, aligning with broader efforts to make literature inclusive via audio formats.^[57]^[58] It has also supported educational applications, with the book incorporated into university courses on journalism and history; for instance, Orlean engaged with students in a Lafayette College journalism class to examine narrative nonfiction techniques.^[59]

References

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The Library Book - Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean re-opens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling homage to a beloved institution.
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In stock Free delivery over $100The Library Book is Susan Orlean's thrilling journey through the stacks that reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books.<|control11|><|separator|>
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Author Will Discuss 'The Library Book' In Burlingame - Patch
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When I found out Susan Orlean's latest was called The Library Book it took me exactly 2 minutes to invite her on the show to discuss it.
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[58]
Audiobook - The Library Book by Susan Orlean - OverDrive
Format. audiobook ; Edition. Unabridged ; Author. Susan Orlean ; Narrator. Susan Orlean ; Publisher. Simon & Schuster Audio ...
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Susan Orlean Finds Herself in the Library - News - Lafayette College
Mar 7, 2019 · When she first walked into Los Angeles Public Library, she felt as if the building itself was a book with inscriptions from books, about books, ...Missing: photographs | Show results with:photographs