Molly of the Mall by Heidi L. M. Jacobs (Review by Shelley Jomaa)

I want to begin by saying how much I loved Molly of the Mall. This story is set in Edmonton, Alberta in the mid 1990s. Molly is an endearing third year English major and a purveyor of fine footwear at the Largest Mall on Earth. With parents who teach art history and English at the local university, Molly is destined for an artistic, literary life. In fact, she was named after a character in the book her father was teaching on the day she was born. Her namesake is a woman who experienced hardship and adventures, and in the end is triumphant. This book takes us on Molly’s journey through academics, romance, and fine footwear. Molly is a lover of books and libraries, with an affinity for the classic literary works of Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, and Virginia Woolf. She exhibits the qualities a book lover will appreciate, including feeling the spine of a book before taking if off the shelf, smelling books before opening the cover, and owning multiple copies of the same book. The heroines of her beloved books become companions and inner guides. The book also explores Molly’s relationship with her hometown. Edmonton is a harsh prairie climate with frigid winters lasting eight months of the year. After living in Alberta myself for two years and not finding the landscape as scenic as my hometown, I could certainly relate to her efforts to appreciate beauty regardless of location. I felt a strong connection to Molly because of her literary lifestyle, and I wanted to see her succeed in all of her quirky endeavours. Anyone who loves classic literature will enjoy this book. Even if classic literature is not your cup of tea, you will still laugh out loud at Molly’s antics. Recently, I have been reading books of a more serious nature, so this one was a pleasure. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a heartwarming comedy about family, love, and books.