The Librarian of Burned Books is a work of historical fiction. Research some of the events and elements taken from real life (e.g., the ASEs, the Nazi book burnings) that appear in the text. How does the novel blend fact and fiction in recreating these events?

Each of the three storylines takes place in a different city. How are these settings depicted? What roles do time and place play in each of these narratives?

What role does the act of storytelling play outside of books? Consider Viv’s mission to tell a good enough story to potential voters, and Althea’s wish to see herself as the hero of her own life story. What is the significance of these various storytelling forms?