Book Review: "Running the Books" by Avi Steinberg

Title: Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian

Author: Avi Steinberg

Publisher: Double Day

ISBN, PUB Date: 978-0-385-52909-9, October 19, 2010
Reviewed by: Denien Robbins for Author Exposure

Avi Steinberg grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home. Fresh out of Harvard, his life seemed to be meandering along meaninglessly. With no solid plans or dreams, he found himself accepting a librarian job in a high security prison. His family and friends questioned the career choice. Why would a nice, well-educated Jewish boy want to hand out books in a prison?

No one could predict that Avi was going to learn things that Harvard just doesn't offer in their curriculum. In fact, he learned many valuable lessons while working in this prison library. The inmates who passed in and out of his library left behind their mark. Whether it was the quiet and withdrawn middle-aged woman serving time for cocaine or the former pimp who grew up in the hood, each prisoner had a story.

This novel delves into the inner relationships in a federal prison. Avi grows to admire and respect some of the convicts. But befriending an inmate is the last thing a prison worker should do. It could cost him his personal standards and his job.

Running the Books is a well-written and interesting tale. Sometimes you think you have it figured out only to learn, five pages later, that it went in a completely different direction. This is not an edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced novel, but one that can be enjoyed as the story unfolds.

I would recommend it for almost any reader. There isn't any graphic violence or strong language, in spite of the prison setting.