If you’re looking for a particular book in Maplewick, don’t bother searching for very long.
Just ask Eloise.
Eloise Pagewell is the village librarian, and she seems to know every book in the library almost as well as she knows the people of Maplewick.
Small and slim, with round glasses, a neat cardigan and a floral dress, Eloise has a quiet, thoughtful air about her. Her little open-book brooch is a fitting finishing touch.
She is happiest surrounded by books.
And she has a rather firm belief that most questions can be answered by finding the right one.
Eloise knows exactly where everything belongs. She can disappear between the shelves and return moments later with precisely the book you needed — even if you weren’t entirely sure what you were looking for in the first place.
She also has an excellent memory.
Particularly when it comes to overdue books.
Eloise doesn’t need to raise her voice. A quiet look over the top of her round glasses is usually quite enough to remind someone that their library book was due back three weeks ago.
There is something reassuring about Eloise and her little library. It’s a quiet corner of Maplewick where people can slow down, discover something new or simply sit with a good book for a while.
And although she may appear rather prim and proper, there is a gentle whimsicality about Eloise too.
Perhaps that’s why she seems so perfectly suited to Maplewick.
After all, every village needs a librarian.
And every librarian needs to know where the good stories are hidden.
