STELLA PEABODY’S WILD LIBRARIAN BAKERY ANd bookstore: A nOVEL-IN-STORIES
Publication Date: December 15, 2021
Advance praise & reviews
“Flamboyant ex-librarian fosters community in this novel of linked stories….It’s a gathering place for monthly feminist book clubs, vision board classes, art openings, and, most importantly, cafe regulars who evolve over the years….At the end of the book prolific author Russo writes about her own desire to start a business like the Wild Librarian—a safe space for creativity and community, resplendent with plenty of words, vegan goodies, and most of all, people….Russo’s exuberance shines through the antics of the quirky, diverse cast and especially Stella herself….Ideal for those who love combining feminism, reading, and sweet treats.”
Kirkus Reviews
“A sense of whimsy blends nicely with the ingredients of solid characterization and good reads, much in the manner of a cozy mystery, but without the intrigue portion powering the tale. ‘Cozy’ is brought to life in the descriptions, evolutionary processes, and book and food-based world of characters who each revolve around books and/or food in different ways. From new recipes ‘inspired by adventure’ to travels that result in new shared stories that spark imagination and change, a bookstore’s commitment to community, baking, and love translates to vignettes about individuals who are changed not just by the store’s presence, but by its varied offerings. Book and food enthusiasts alike will find much to relish in Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore: A Novel-in-Stories. As its characters and world evolves, so does a sense of joie de vivre that inspires art in various forms, pays tribute to women’s lives, and centers on the powers of imagination, questions, and cultivating creative fun in peoples’ lives. Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore’s delight resides in its delicious sense of community and depiction of women’s connections. It will reach its appealing aroma into the minds and hearts of readers that enjoy good books, tasty recipes, and compelling stories alike.”
D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“A close observation of modern life, laced with compassion, forgiveness, and belonging. A story of creating community through art and imagination.”
Mary Camarillo, author of The Lockhart Women
“I just entered Stella Peabody’s world and feel so at home. I can anticipate there never being enough pages to keep me there in that wonderful place! In Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore, Stacy Russo has given us what an individual needs most in this world: community - safe, beautiful, and delicious!”
Ruth King, Blues Musician and Recording Artist
“Russo transports her readers to a deliciously interconnected web of people and place where vulnerable human experience is celebrated alongside decadent desserts. Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore is a wonderful and deeply relatable read.”
Charissa Lucille, Wasted Ink Zine Distro
“There’s something cozy and safe yet also wise, realistic, and visionary about Stacy Russo’s novel-in-stories, Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore. Clearly written with precision and clarity, the stories provide a model for how to live and interact, an ideal after which to model ourselves, and ways to get through our suffering. The characters are vivid and memorable. The vegan recipes for food (and for life) are a reassuring delight.”
Lucretia Tye Jasmine, Freelance Writer and Artist, and Co-producer of KPFK’s Feminist Magazine
“A much needed new fiction: enchanting, experimental, and sensitive. The ‘wild librarian,’ the bookstore/bakery, and a warm community — intricately woven in the seven stories — are as welcoming as hearth, as essential as books and baking, as necessary and generous as the sharing of recipes and nourishment: Both material and spiritual. The place, Santa Ana, is vividly (re)imagined and indisputably real. The novel is magical and balm for our shattered world in need of healing.”
Jie Tian, Poet, Librarian, Bookmaker
“Each story depicts various scenarios: a missing wife and her heartbroken husband; an adventurous trip with the women’s book club to Taos, New Mexico; and an artist’s life journey ... Author Stacy Russo has crafted a compelling novel in Stella Peabody’s Wild Librarian Bakery and Bookstore. This is a book to be savored in the same way the customers enjoy the bakery items!”
Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite – 5 Starred Review
