Review
Title: The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family
Author: Josh Hanagarne
Publisher: Avery
Genre: Memoir
Year Published: 2013
Number of Pages: 291
Reviewed by Susan Jensen, September 2023
Bookish books always catch my eye, as do those about my religion, so it’s a wonder that it took me this long to read THE WORLD’S STRONGEST LIBRARIAN. The memoir had me laughing right from the get-go because Hanagarne is a funny guy. His voice is not just humorous, but it’s also warm, intimate, genuine, and sensitive. All of these things make his story engaging, engrossing, and thought-provoking on many levels. I especially appreciated his honesty about his struggles with his Latter-day Saint faith, including the fact that although he doesn’t totally believe in the doctrines of the Church anymore, he doesn’t entirely disbelieve either. Even though I’ve never struggled with my testimony like he has, I could still relate to a lot of his thoughts and feelings about what it means to be a “Mormon.” Hanagarne’s descriptions of his struggle with Tourette’s are also illuminating. I didn’t know a ton about the disease going into the book, so I learned a lot about how it manifests as well as the methods sufferers use to try to control it. The author’s struggles make him sympathetic, while his continued determination to best them make him admirable. The most poignant part of the book is when Hanagarne’s young son starts showing symptoms of Tourette’s. His father’s guilt, fear, and anxiety for his boy are palpable. Although THE WORLD’S STRONGEST LIBRARIAN is more about Hanagarne’s Tourette’s and his faith journey than it is about his profession, it’s also fun and inspiring to read his thoughts on the power of reading and the importance of libraries in the lives of individuals and communities. It’s always a delight to feel seen by another book nerd!
I loved so many things about THE WORLD’S STRONGEST LIBRARIAN. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me think. It would make a very discussion-worthy read for a book club, especially one made up of Latter-day Saints. In fact, I’m going to suggest it to mine.