I picked this up at the Celebration Event for 2016’s Coventry Inspiration Book Awards. Having loved Looking at the Stars, I was expecting an emotional journey, and this book was a real roller coaster!

Calypso’s home life isn’t easy. Since her Mum died from cancer, her Dad has taught her the importance of being her own best friend, and keeping her emotions in check.

When new girl, Mae, arrives at school, Calypso finds her first real friendship through their shared love of reading and writing.

She loves going to Mae’s house, where life is full of hugs, arguments and laughter, while her own is dusty with bare food cupboards and her Dad always locked away in his library working on his masterpiece, A History of Lemons.

When Calypso does eventually bring Mae back to see her very own library, the girl’s uncover the secret her Dad has been keeping, and her world is turned upside down.

A moving tale that handles mental illness and caring for a parent with sensitivity and realism. I needed tissues at times, but the overwhelming feeling was one of hope.

A Library of Lemons highlights the importance of friendship, and shows how books can bring people together, and provide an escape from life’s daily grind.

Great for fans of real life fiction.