In this work of investigative non-fiction, author Susan Orlean examines the before, during, and after of the fire that destroyed the Los Angeles Central Library in 1986. As she considers aspects of the library’s history, its present-day function, and its future, she explores themes relating to the different purposes and functions of libraries in general. She also takes the narrative occasionally into memoir as she layers in glimpses of her own personal experiences with libraries and the opportunities for human connection that they foster.
