The Librianist by Patrick DeWitt

 

Bob Comet isn't sure this retirement thing is working out.  He spent his life in the library, helping patrons and enjoying being in the book world.  He married but his marriage lasted only a year until his wife ran off with his best friend.  Now that he is retired, he is feeling the lack of human contact.

One day while visiting the store he finds a woman who seems stuck in front of the refrigerated drinks.  The clerk says that she has been in the same place staring for over an hour.  Bob talks to her and discovers that she lives in a nearby senior assisted living house and he takes her back there.  

Bob likes the place and starts to volunteer there.  Now his days are full and he feels that he is helping others.  He makes friends and soon can't imagine being anywhere or doing anything else.  But when he discovers that his past life has intruded on this current one, he is unsure what he should do next.

Patrick DeWitt is known for writing novels on the quirky side that illuminate life stories that most people had never considered.  This is another of those novels.  Most people, meeting Bob Comet, would just see an everyday elderly man and never stop to think about or learn his life story.  DeWitt makes it interesting showing that each of us has a story to tell and experiences that make us unique.  This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.